Welcome...
by Dr Alex Fibishenko
A message for my patients, and a message for my colleagues...
FOR MY PATIENTS
My friends at uni used to joke around that I thought an implant was the solution to every kind of dental problem. But in every joke there is always a little bit of truth. I certainly spent the majority of my undergraduate years following research on implants as I refused to accept dentures being humane in any way. I remember my grandmother had dentures. She used to fall asleep in front of the TV, and as her mouth opened, her denture fell down. This used to horrify me as a child. Imprinted in my mind, finding an alternative became a driving force that shaped my career.
I am involved with clinicians, technicians, anaesthetists, nurses, treatment coordinators and back-end staff who, apart from excelling in their area of practice through passion and dedication, help change people’s lives every day. Noble as this may be, there is something selfish in what we do. When our patients look in the mirror after having their new teeth fitted, give us that smerk and tear up from disbelief, we get an intense sense of fulfillment. Their emotions transfer to the entire team, and it makes us realise that we have accomplished far more than simply improve our patients oral health and function.
The All-On-4 Clinic was founded on an underlying metaphor that ‘being able to smile and function with confidence should not be an exclusive privilege, but a basic human right’, and what we do must be predictable, reliable and accessible. Nevertheless, irrespective of advances in medical science there is often a fine line between achieving success with Dental Implants or the opposite. We strive to make a difference by setting the standard and delivering consistent results in a manner that is seemingly uncomplicated.
I was fortunate to meet Professor PI Branemark in Sweden some years ago. He discovered that the human body accepts Titanium as though it had been its own biologic substance, or what is today known as Osseointegration. He famously said ‘No one should die with their teeth sitting in a glass of water’. But if I may borrow from a friend, Mike Thompson , APAC Manager for Nobel Biocare, at the All-On-4 Clinic we also believe that ‘No one should LIVE with their teeth sitting in a glass of water’.
See you on the other side.
FOR MY COLLEAGUES
Happiness begins with a smile …
Nothing works better for your practice growth than happy patients, and nothing improves your marketability more than a streamlined process. A quick ‘makeover’ is often seen as a concept many dental professionals tend to resist due to a perceived potential compromises to quality and longevity, particularly when it comes to severely deficient bone and the prospect of dental implants. But what if a quick makeover was in fact the treatment that offered the better aesthetics, quality and longevity as well as facilitating oral hygiene and improved overall success irrespective of the state of the bone, such as the case with All-On-4 Plus® and Zygoma Plus? Then the only obstacle is your ability to deliver!
All-On-4 Plus needs no introduction. The concept has revolutionized delivery of full arch implant restorations and has gained tremendous popularity among dentists and specialists alike. It focuses on achieving predictable results with optimal function and aesthetics, whilst at the same time addressing patients’ common desire for an uncomplicated treatment process.
When it comes to highly compromised situations our restorative needs do not change just because the presentation is more complex. The new Zygoma Plus concept ensures that the same parameters are met irrespective of the state of the bone.
We have long passed the development phase of implant therapy where restoring function and ensuring implant ‘survival’ were central. In todays society, these criteria alone are no longer acceptable. Function, aesthetics and long-term oral health parameters must all go hand in hand as implant ‘Survival’ is not necessarily synonymous with Implant ‘Success’, just as a cosmetic procedure is not necessarily an aesthetic one. We know the implants will survive, we now need to make them successful by today’s standards and for today’s patients in the era of ‘high aesthetic expectations’ and a need for “instant gratification”. Fact is, our patients don’t want “implants” per se. What they want is a beautiful smile, and to be able to function with confidence.
Those interested in our International Residency programs should check out the dedicated website https://dentalimplantsmasters.com/.
Dr Alex Fibishenko BDSC FICOI
Oral Implantology & Reconstructive Dento-facial Surgery
Dental Surgeon in Self-Restricted Practice
Innovator of All-On-4 Plus® & founder of All-On-4 Clinic LTD
