I was aware of the importance of preventive dentistry from the time I was a university student, but at the same time I became painfully aware that there are many mistakes in dental education. For example, education that teaches "it is common to perform bridging by scraping two adjacent teeth if one tooth is lost" is also a step toward destructive treatment which will eventually result in losing all teeth. I felt a strong indignation there and immediately joined an American academy to learn the newest information of dentistry. There I met an excellent teacher and relearned the significance of implants again. After that I devoted 24 hours, 365 days a year to the studying of implants, and have continued to study hard. As an implant specialist who boasts the highest precision in Japan, we have not stopped participating in academic societies and seminars, and continue to collect daily information even to this day.However, even after more than 25 years have passed, the Japanese implant industry is still lagging behind. This is a very sad reality.For example, in Korea, over 90% of dental clinics perform implants, but in Japan the number is not even close. Even dentists who put themselves in the forefront do not participate in academic societies, nor do they engage in clinical practices. The fact that the importance of implants is not widespread is a major problem for Japan, especially when considering that we are entering a 100-year life expectancy era.
Also, in addition to the lack of technical skills of such doctors, we cannot deny the lack of information on the patients' part who choose dentists. A dentist may be providing incorrect information, but there are still many people who think, "If my teeth get worse, I'll go to the dentist". However, it is too late once your teeth have worsened, and if you do not take preventive measures or perform corrective treatment, it can also lead to you losing your teeth. That is why I think I myself have to rectify this bad habit through seminars and other educational activities.
Many of my patients were denied treatment at university hospitals and other hospitals, and 100% of them are implant patients. However, I have never refused patients for technical reasons whatsoever. In a general dental clinic, implant patients only make up a few percent of the total patient population, so I think that this is proof that my technical skills and expertise are being evaluated accordingly.In addition, all of my patients undergo blood tests including infectious disease tests, and we have earned the trust of our patients as a result of these genuine and thorough measures. When performing medical surgeries, we do not perform them without examining infectious diseases, but in general dental clinics do not conduct these examinations when performing implantations.
This is a big problem and it should not be the norm. There is almost no domestic practice clinic that is conducting blood tests, and we can say that our hospital is a safe dental office that is leading the nation in the rarity of nosocomial infections. Such a high level of technical skill and dedication are the cornerstone of providing accurate and safe treatment that does not burden the patient, and I think that it is the reason why many patients are pleased with our service.
Especially with dental treatment, it is important to relax the patient. There is no person who wants to go to the dentist, and I think that prioritizing this will lead to trust. I try to communicate with patients while making jokes and aim for a happy treatment which includes numerous smiles and much laughter.
Conduct patients for patients who have tooth defects, and if a tooth alignment is poor, try aesthetic and functional solutions using orthodontic treatment without scraping teeth. I want to enlighten the importance of prevention and implants with this concept in mind, so that our patients can still enjoy their lives with their teeth even a 100 years from now. I believe that this is the duty as an implant specialist boasting the best technological capabilities in Japan.
