695: Treatment of the Edentulous Patient - Dr Marco Brindis

Kirk welcomes prosthodontist Dr. Marco Brindis to discuss the treatment of the edentulous patient. They talk about the need for individualized treatment plans and the balance between saving teeth and providing optimal health and function. Dr. Brindis also highlights the importance of collaboration with other dental professionals, the importance of patient communication, treatment options for the edentulous patient, and material selection for restorations. Tune in and learn about the specialty that is treating edentulous patients. 

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• Contact Dr. Brindis: marco [at] smilesbymarco.com

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Main Takeaways: 

• Consider the patient's health and function when treating the edentulous patient
• Individualize treatment plans based on the patient's specific needs
• Collaborate with other dental professionals to provide comprehensive care
• Balance aesthetics and health in treatment planning

Quotes: 

“There was one article from the Mayo Clinic in 2013 and they had the projection with the baby boomers to have 40 million edentulous people in the United States - 40 million. And actually we reached a little bit over 40 million by the year 2020. So there's a big need. And just to put into perspective, missing your teeth is just like missing any other limb in your body. It's like missing a leg.” (07:30 - 07:38)

“My main goal as a prosthodontist is not actually to save teeth, is to give you health, is to provide you with a function that you need. And sometimes that is by saving teeth. Hopefully, I always hope that the solution will be by saving teeth. But that’s not always the case. And sometimes I have to make the radical decision.”(9:07 - 9:28)

“Understand that as a dentist, as a good dentist, you cannot be a cookie cutter. You cannot just feed every patient that comes to your practice to that protocol. Every patient has completely different needs, completely different problems, and we have to adapt and follow whatever the patient needs.” (11:03 - 11:21)

“I constantly say, you know, when you have a dentist, it's like having a contractor in your house - fix the room, fix the door, fix the windows, fix the roof. You know, when the patients come to me, they're looking for an architect. How can we build back the house and get it in function? Because it's already too much damage. And sometimes I have to demolish that house and build from the bottom up. And sometimes I have a chance to have good bones. The house had good bones. Now I can go ahead and renovate it and have a good quality for the long term and save that house. But sometimes I don't have that luxury and I have to start from scratch.” (15:58 - 16:35)

“If we only do what the patient wants, what are we here for? What did we study for? Even if the patient is going to tell us what to do. No, no, no. It's to listen and then you have to propose the best course of action for the patient with the dentist's knowledge.” (25:44 - 25:58)

“Treat the patients like your own family. Treat the patient like the way you want your, your most precious love in your life to be treated, you know? And when you keep that in mind, make the decisions that you have to make and you're going to be fine. And, and don't hesitate to make radical decisions when those radical decisions are going to change the patient's life, when those decisions can reach the patient's heart.”  (32:05 - 32:21)

Snippets:

02:10 Dr. Marco Brindis' Background

07:37 The Importance of Treating the Edentulous Patient

10:23 Controversy and Decision-Making in Treatment

14:07 Different Scenarios and Treatment Options

17:30 Collaboration with Other Dental Professionals

22:47 Financial Considerations in Treatment Planning

29:08 Balancing Aesthetics and Health

32:12 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Dr. Marco Brindis Bio:

Dr. Marco Brindis is the chairman of the Prosthodontics Department of Louisiana State University, where he also maintains an intramural restorative practice devoted to esthetics and implants with an interdisciplinary approach. He earned his DDS from the Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City in 1998, completed a Preceptorship in Dental Implants at the Universidad Intercontinental in 1999, a Preceptorship in Dental Implants at the Dental School at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio in 2002, and a Surgical Implant Fellowship at the Biotechnology Institute in Vitoria, Spain, in 2003. He earned his Certificate in Prosthodontics at LSU School of Dentistry in the Department of Prosthodontics in 2007, then completed the Esthetic and Occlusion courses at the Pankey Institute in 2007.

Dr. Brindis is very passionate in the field of interdisciplinary dentistry for full-mouth reconstruction, esthetics, and implant dentistry. He is involved in the development of new implant protocols to treat edentulous patients. He has lectured in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Spain. He is a member of several organizations, including the Academy of Osseointegration, American Dental Association, American College of Prosthodontists, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He is a well-established national and international speaker, having spoken at symposiums such as the AAOMS Dental Implant Conference, International Symposium on Oral Implantology in Spain, Academy of Osseointegration, AAOMS Annual Meeting, and the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry.