Dr. Hugo Nascimento

Dentist
Oral Rehabilitation 
and Endodontics Specialist

More than teeth

HPA Magazine 13

Dentistry has undergone important and relevant technical developments in recent years, the sole purpose being to restore function, shape and aesthetics to people with dental problems.
In the past, dentistry has always sought to copy nature. However, due to the technical and scientific deficiencies at the time, the results obtained were debatable and always involving great suffering from the patient’s point of view. This is perhaps the reason why there are still many people today afraid of dental treatment, mostly due to a past bad experiences. 
Fortunately, science has evolved to the point of providing dentistry with all the necessary techniques and equipment, from the simplest to the most complex treatment, to be carried out painlessly, comfortably and above all predictable and durable. Thus, it is the responsibility of the dentist to be up to date and with the necessary training, in order to be provide the patient with the latest techniques available. This is the “DNA” of the HPA Health Group's Dentistry Department: the permanent search for innovation and continued improvement.

But beyond cutting-edge techniques and equipment, there is something that is fundamental, without which nothing can be achieved. I speak of empathy, I speak of the capacity to listen and understand the fears and goals of each patient.
Nowadays, a health concept goes far beyond the simple fact of “being sick or not”. Health or being healthy also involves our state of mind, our self-esteem, our willingness to smile and interact with others.
And which medical specialty deals with smiles as directly as dentistry? The fact that we are not satisfied with our smile can prevent us from achieving our goals by hiding from those closest to us, avoiding to smile or even covering a smile with our hands.
The current dental practice, which is in the genesis of the HPA Health Group, is based on three pillars: Science; Art and Passion. 
To illustrate what I have just mentioned, I would like to share with you a case we have recently solved at our Clinic in São Brás de Alportel, the Clinica Particular SIIPEMOR, by our oral rehabilitation team: myself as the Prosthodontist and Dr. Rui Salgado as the Implantologist.
The patient came for the first time to our consultation, after having undergone had several dental treatments which unfortunately did not go too well. She referred discomfort throughout the process, but most particularly was not satisfied with the end result, which fell short of what she expected because she could not chew properly and smile with confidence. These aspects were considerably affecting her self-esteem and confidence, limiting her at work and family life.
Obviously, there was a great deal of distrust and fear of being subjected to further dental treatment, which meant redoing everything that had been done previously. 

In this case, much more than the technical and medical aspects, it was essential to have time and understanding, so that together with the patient, we could find the best way to solve the problem that had affected her for many months; It was essential to make her feel part of the team and we only began with the whole process when she felt comfortable with the procedure.
After the initial consultation where we gathered all the necessary information (medical, but also emotional), we began the rehabilitation process, which started with prior planning, based on the latest technology, such as CBCT (three-dimensional radiological examination), dynamic smile analysis and CAD-CAM system to take a virtual impression, creating a 3D image, resulting in a computer-generated cast. 
On the same day and always with the patient’s comfort in mind, the previously placed dental implants were removed and balance and health was restored to the bone structure, with the placement of new implants in both upper and lower jaws, with the patient leaving the dental chair with fixed temporary teeth in place after a few hours. 
After a short period of adaptation, and again with the patient's great participation, the permanent fixed prostheses were placed, which restored not only the patients chewing, but also the aesthetic appearance, fundamental in all cases that we solve.
The treatment was quick and resulted in excellent results, to which contributed the participation and help of the patient, but also the knowledge and experience of all professionals involved.
We believe that our goals have been met: we can return not only the smile, but also the confidence and security to meet all challenges.
We approached and respected the situation according to our motto: we treat more than teeth. We treat people, we treat affections and feelings. We restore quality of life and well-being.