Academia by Dr Nikhil Oberai
Treating patients is one half of what I do. The other half is making sure the dentists of the future, and the dentists working right now, have access to the clinical knowledge and hands-on experience that advances the standard of implant care across the profession.
I believe the standard of implant dentistry in the UK should keep getting better. Teaching is how that happens.
My clinical work and my teaching are not separate pursuits. They inform each other constantly. Teaching the MSc curriculum at the University of Manchester means I have to stay at the very edge of what is current, what is evidenced, and what is possible in implant dentistry. That keeps my clinical practice sharp. And the cases I handle in my own practice, the complex presentations, the corrective work, the advanced surgical techniques, feed directly into what I bring to the lecture theatre and the workshop.
I have been passionate about the educational side of implant dentistry since completing my own MSc in 2014. Since then I have taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level, run hands-on surgical workshops, lectured at national conferences, mentored dentists one-to-one in live patient sessions, and served as an external examiner assessing the next generation of implant clinicians.
This page is a record of that work.
- Current appointments
What I do in academia
Honorary Clinical Teaching Fellow, University of Manchester
I teach clinical implantology as an Honorary Clinical Teaching Fellow at the University of Manchester, both to fifth-year BDS undergraduates and as part of the postgraduate MSc in Dental Implantology programme. Teaching the programme I graduated from in 2014 gives me a particular perspective on what the curriculum requires and what the clinical gaps are between academic training and real-world practice.
External Examiner, BAIRD Implant Course
As an external examiner for the BAIRD Implant Course, I assess the competency and clinical standard of dentists completing structured implant training. This role keeps me closely connected to the baseline standards expected across the profession and to the common areas where additional development makes the biggest difference.
Clinical Mentor, Cambridge Dental Academy and University of Manchester
One-to-one clinical mentorship for dentists developing their implant skills, including hands-on live patient sessions at both my Northwich and Wilmslow practices. This is the format I believe produces the deepest and most lasting clinical development, because the learning happens in real cases, in real time, with real patients.
Senior Tutor, Advanced Implant Course, Dentale Training
Surgical teaching at advanced level for dentists extending their implant practice beyond straightforward cases. Hands-on, clinically focused, and built around the technical decisions that separate competent from exceptional implant work.
Key Opinion Leader, Osstem UK
Four years as a Key Opinion Leader for Osstem UK, presenting clinical evidence on long-term implant success using the TSIII implant system. This role involves presenting at national and international events, contributing to clinical publications, and engaging with the broader implant dentistry community on the evidence base behind modern implant practice.
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- Past academic work
Courses, Lectures and Seminars
I am passionate about sharing what I have learned, not just with dentists I mentor directly, but with the wider implant community. Below is a selection of courses, lectures, and seminars I have delivered or contributed to.
ADI Team Congress 2023, Hands-On Workshop: Guided Surgery Workflow
A workshop delivered at the ADI Team Congress 2023, covering the full guided surgery workflow for dental implant placement. Participants worked through planning software, surgical guide design, and guided placement protocol with hands-on components throughout. Guided surgery represents one of the most significant developments in modern implant placement. The precision it allows, and the confidence it gives less experienced clinicians, makes it an area I am particularly focused on sharing with the wider profession.
Hands-on workshop · Guided surgery workflowUniversity of Manchester Undergraduate Conference 2023, Teaching the Next Generation
A session delivered at the University of Manchester Undergraduate Conference 2023 for final-year dental students. The focus was on implant dentistry as a discipline, what it requires of the clinician, and how to approach the transition from undergraduate training to placing implants in practice. Talking to undergraduates about implant dentistry is one of the most rewarding parts of my teaching work. The questions they ask are sharp and the enthusiasm is genuine. This is the generation that will be treating implant patients for the next 30 to 40 years. Getting this conversation right matters.
Undergraduate conference · Final-year dental studentsThe Academy, Kana Health Group, Learn to Place and Restore Simple Implants
A structured course for dentists beginning their implant journey, covering the placement and restoration of simple implant cases from end to end. The course included didactic teaching, case planning exercises, and hands-on surgical components. This is the type of course I find most valuable to contribute to, because it addresses the precise point where most dentists stall: the gap between completing a qualification and placing their first case with confidence. The hands-on component is what makes the difference.
Structured course · Didactic teaching · Hands-on surgical componentsWhy Implants Must Be Offered as an Option, Lecture and Seminar
A lecture and seminar series addressing the ethical and clinical case for offering implants as a treatment option to all appropriate patients, regardless of the practice setting. The core argument is that every patient who is missing a tooth deserves to know what the gold standard replacement is, even if they ultimately choose something else. This is a subject I feel strongly about. The number of patients who arrive at my practice having never been told implants were an option, despite being ideal candidates, is significant. Changing that starts with the conversation dentists have at the treatment planning stage.
Lecture series · Clinical ethics · Treatment planning conversation- Take the next step
Want to develop your own implant skills?
If reading about my academic work has sparked an interest in developing your own implant practice, here is where to start.
Mentorship Programmes
The most direct route to developing real implant confidence. One-to-one, hands-on, live patient training at Brunner Court in Northwich over three or six months. Structured around your current level and your goals. Limited places available. EXplore Mentorship Programmes
Refer a Patient
If you have a patient who needs implant treatment beyond the scope of your practice, I welcome referrals from dentists across the UK. Complex cases are particularly welcome. Submit a Referral
Get in Touch
If you want to discuss a lecturing opportunity, a clinical question, or anything related to the academic work on this page, contact my team at Brunner Court and I will respond personally. Contact Us
- Lectures and events
Available for lectures, workshops, and study days
I am available to speak at study days, conferences, and educational events across the UK. Topics I cover include, but are not limited to: advanced implant surgical techniques including zygomatic, pterygoid, and transinus implants; guided surgery workflow from planning to placement; managing complex implant cases and complications; immediate loading and Smile-in-a-Day protocols; long-term implant success drawing on evidence from over 1,000 cases; and the business case for implant dentistry in general practice.
If you are organising an event and would like to discuss a lecture or workshop, please get in touch using the contact details below or the form at the bottom of this page.
- MEET YOUR CLINICIAN
I'm Dr Nikhil Oberai MSC & Dental Implants are all I do
I qualified from Manchester Dental School in 2008 and completed my Master’s Degree in Dental Implantology from the University of Manchester in 2014. My thesis focused on the immediate loading of dental implants, the clinical science that underpins the Smile-in-a-Day protocol I now use regularly in practice.
Since completing my MSc I have taught at every level of dental education, from undergraduate tutorials to postgraduate clinical training to one-to-one live patient mentorship. The common thread across all of it is the belief that better-trained clinicians produce better patient outcomes. And that better patient outcomes are what this entire discipline is for.
- BDS, University of Manchester (2008)
- MSc Dental Implantology, University of Manchester (2014)
- Honorary Clinical Teaching Fellow — University of Manchester
- Key Opinion Leader — Osstem UK
- External Examiner, BAIRD Implant Course
- Award Winning dentistry
- GDC No. 150126