Father and daughter, mentor and trainee – two generations of dental expertise
French dental surgeon Dr Reys knows that dental professionals need to constantly upskill themselves in order to keep up with the pace of change. But in order to embrace new technologies, they must be able to master traditional skills first – and that’s precisely what he has encouraged his daughter Rebecca Reys who works alongside him to do.
Dental surgeon Guillaume Reys opened his practice in Sélestat, France in 2002. Besides running his clinic, he teaches surgery to dental students at the Faculty of Dental Surgery, University of Strasbourg.
As the son of a professor of surgery, Dr Reys knew early on that he would end up following the same path.
“As a child, I had the chance to observe closely what my father was doing. Growing up I knew that surgery would be my choice, too, but in France, once you start studying medicine, you don’t necessarily know which specialty you’ll end up practicing after finishing your studies and internship. You don’t always get to work in the field of your choice, and I wanted to make sure that I could do what I wanted, that is practice surgery. That’s why I chose dental surgery, and it has been exactly what I hoped for,” Dr Reys says.
The clinic employs two other dentists and five dental assistants. One of the dentists is his daughter Rebecca Reys, who just graduated from dental school last summer.
“I didn’t choose dentistry because my father is a dentist, but because I knew the profession thoroughly, I thought it might be a good choice for me as well,” Rebecca explains. “I’m also very interested in forensic medicine, and when I learned that after dental school, it is possible to pursue post-graduate training that could bring me into the field, it sealed the deal for me,” Rebecca says.
She continues that working with her dad is like having a mentor around all the time. “When I was still a student, I used to work at another clinic one day a week and I was all alone there. There were plenty of situations where I would have liked to ask questions, but it wasn’t possible. In the beginning, you’re not sure of yourself and you need a lot of reassurance. My dad lets me do my job freely, but it’s comfortable knowing that he is around should I have any questions.”
Dr Reys is happy to have his daughter around, too. The clinic has recently seen a marked increase in the number of patients, and without the help of his colleagues, he wouldn’t have been able to welcome any new patients.
A Planmeca customer since 1995
Dr Reys is a longtime user of Planmeca dental units – he has been using them since 1995 – and his clinic is currently equipped with three of them. When he first discovered the company’s dental care units, he was immediately impressed by their side-lifting mechanism which provides plenty of legroom.
“From an aesthetic point of view, their airy and lightweight design appealed to me – they’re not heavy-looking at all. The assistant’s side is also very practical with easy access to all essential functions, and of course, the units are very comfortable. My patients always say how they would love to have one at home. I wouldn’t mind having one either.”
“I also discovered that the technology was relatively simple,” he continues. “I like to do as much as possible myself, so if something needs to be repaired, I often just call my distributor and ask him what to do. Us dentists are sometimes like spoiled children, we want everything to be fixed immediately − even half an hour is too long a wait,” he says, laughing.
As for his daughter, Rebecca had been using Planmeca dental units already as a dental student at the University of Strasbourg, so she was well familiar with them.
In addition to the dental units, the clinic is equipped with a Planmeca ProMax® 3D Classic imaging unit, two Planmeca ProX™ intraoral X-ray units, a Planmeca Emerald® S intraoral scanner, and a Planmeca PlanMill® 40 milling unit which Dr Reys uses for making chairside crowns.
He performs all implant planning with the Planmeca Romexis® software. “I think it works very well. I can easily merge a CBCT image, my implant plan and an intraoral scan, and it’s all just so easy. I use the software every day.”
Rebecca is also planning to start using the intraoral scanner and milling unit, but first, she wants to master taking traditional impressions. “My father encouraged me to learn traditional working methods before moving to digital ones. You must be able to do both since you can’t always rely on technology. I feel like I’m learning new things every day and can’t wait to experience all the digital tools we have in our clinic.”
Looking forward to a digital future
According to Dr Reys, patients today are looking for a dentist for life, someone they can trust. “It’s not always easy to trust someone with your teeth but once you find the right person, they easily become your family dentist in a way.”
The world of dentistry has already become digital, but Dr Reys believes there is much more to come.
“I’m sure that we will continue to be blown away by new innovations – we can’t even imagine all the things that will be technologically possible in the years to come. We can’t rest on our laurels and stay content with what we have learned so far – we have to keep training, learning new skills and acquiring new knowledge. We have to stay curious and keep up with the pace of change.”
Dr Guillaume Reys and Dr Rebecca Reys
Copy: Hanna Korlin
Images:Courtesy of Dr Reys
Planmeca Oy and Planmeca Group
Planmeca Oy is one of the world's leading dental equipment manufacturers, with a product range covering digital dental units, CAD/CAM solutions, world-class 2D and 3D imaging devices and comprehensive software solutions. Privately owned and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the company offers a portfolio of products distributed in over 120 countries worldwide. Planmeca Oy is part of the Finnish Planmeca Group, which consists of several healthcare technology brands, each committed to innovation and design. With 4,500 employees worldwide, Planmeca Group companies achieved a combined turnover of EUR 1.1 billion in 2020.
www.planmeca.com
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