Your publications stand in a very illustrious place in international scientific literature, and they provide substantial information for some new methods or possible solutions. Currently in what subject are you conducting your research?
My main research field and most important publications were in Biomechanics and invitro studies. I always tried to build a link between my results and the clinical practice, looking after a better treatment plan or good practice for the patients. However, recently my main focus of research is clinical studies. In the recent years, I’ve being part of a group that combine forces to do multicenter clinical studies, analyzing periimplant bone losses, success and failures implant ratios, prosthetic follow up and so on. Basically we being working on immediate loading protocols for single to multiple restorations. When talking about full edentulous cases, our main field has being analyzing functional oral rehabilitation with a minimum number of implants.
When did you decided to immerse into the knowledge and practical solutions of dental implantology?
After 4 years of dental practice, I decided to do Prosthodontics, but during my Dental School I did mentoring programs of “Head and Neck Anatomy” and “Oral Surgery”. So my first lecturing experience was in Anatomy. When I was doing the residency in Prosthodontics sometimes I used to feel frustrated about the treatments I gave to some patients. I felt I could delivery something better than preparing patient’s teeth to do a full mouth oral rehabilitation or regular mucosa supported removable prosthesis because implants where already a reality in the late 90’s, when I was doing this course. Unfortunately back in those times, courses on Implantology used to be really hard to find and very expensive. So in the year of 2000 I decided to do an course for simple implant placement at the same time I was finishing
the Prostho specialty. It was really hard to combine all these, but I don’t regret because I really found my big passion inside Dentistry. From a simple course for placing 1-3 implants, I started to do others courses on advanced implantology about grafts and biomaterials, full arches reconstructions, etc. Basically nowadays I feel I can delivery something better for my patients and also combine surgery and prosthodontics. I can link anatomy, physiology and biomaterials to occlusion, dental materials and esthetic. Implantology is definitely for me the most interesting, modern and complete field in Dentistry, where I have a true multidisciplinary approach in order to treat patients.
Are you in the viewpoint that a significant advancement or turning-point can take place in the field of implantology?
Absolutely yes! Implantology is changing dramatically with the advent of digital Dentistry and immediate loading. Digital Dentistry is making it easier to have a better prognosis and a more assertive treatment plan of our cases. It’s easier to communicate to our patients, explaining better their necessity and also to talk with the dental laboratories, where dental esthetics can match better to the patient’s orofacial characteristics. New restorative materials and techniques are available due to the development of Digital Dentistry. Even surgical procedures could take advantages out of this technology, giving us new ways on finding solutions for our patients and more durable treatments (and some times even more affordable). Immediate loading is also being an important game changer recently. More and more there are major consensus on this topic and doctors are applying this technique in their daily clinic since single to full arches rehabilitations. It can be seen in the scientific literature clinical results out of immediate loading studies with similar results when compared to conventional protocols. Faster treatment time results in less discomfort to our patients and higher satisfaction with the final
results, making Implantology easier to be accepted by our patients.
In recent years the various fields of dental specialties are changing in large scales. Do You think this progress promotes the quality of patients’ life or does it ease mainly the labour of dentists and technicians?
I believe this progress mainly enhance the quality of patient’s life with more durable, aesthetic, less time consuming and more affordable treatments. When it comes to the ease labour of dentists and technicians, I believe it cames with time and after lots of practice. Surely changes, new material and methods demand from Dental labours investment, time, education and dedication. The learning curve of these novelties have to be respected and so comfort only arrives after practice and “sweat”. That’s why for those that loves Dentistry, the good feeling after learning is as good as the time of dedication during the understating process.
The manufacturer/developer behavior prefer digital workflow over specialized human labour. Do you agree with that?
The digital workflow is opening new doors for us and our patients. This protocol is making it easier to practice dentistry, the whole procedure is turning less technical sensitive, faster, cheaper and more assertive (obviously after dedication and learning as mentioned before). This because we can nowadays predict better our next steps and treatment plan, there are new methods to make the patient analysis more holistic and interdisciplinary, since it is possible to combine images from the tomography scan to the intra oral scan and so on. New materials are offered due to the digital workflow, faster and easier ways of manufacturing are also being presented.Basically it is possible to finish treatments earlier and to provide more to the patients. On the other hand, the state of the art of the digital workflow is yet under construction, so there is still some moments where we need to do conventional procedures, in such a manner where sometimes we can do a full digital workflow or other time we need to combine digital to conventional and to do a partial digital workflow.
Who is your professional idol in your specialty?
I have the happiness and honor to have a close relation to my Mentor and idol in my specialty: Dr Geninho Thomé. He’s a Brazilian dentist with a tremendous knowledge on Bio-engineering, a high skilled and experienced surgeon. He still practice dentistry and I practice beside him twice a week. When it comes to bio-engineering, I’m one member of his team where we develop and run lots of projects together, making it possible for me to learn every day. Despite these, I believe that the main thing I appreciate from him is the ethical and
respectful way he treat our patients. Every single surgery and research project only aims one thing: to improve our patients quality of life.
Do You think we have missed an important topic, that has been left unanswered yet?
Yes, I would like to share some words for the beginners who would be as chance reading this interview. My advices are: work hard, be humble and trust in yours instincts. Do and dedicate yourself to what you truly love to do in Dentistry and make everything you can to your patients in a respectful way, truly dedicate your work to their cure and health treatment. For the experience colleagues: keep yourself humble and keep your eyes open. Humility always allow us to learn something new and grow.
Would you tell us one of your favorite leisure time activity, field of interest or hobby?
For sure, there are few things that I like to do in my leisure time such as listening to music (specially rock n’ roll… and sometimes heavy hard rock), go jogging and riding horses. These are the moments I like to relax, these are my moments of concentration, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. Horses are animals that I love and have a special link and relation since I was a kid, maybe because of their strongness and kindness. Also I like to stay with my family and friends, getting along together for chatting and having some wine. The last but not the least, I really enjoy to stay close to the sea. I believe this is because I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, so consequently I strongly appreciate the ocean and waves.