Philosophy
“My philosophy of implant dentistry has always been that it is a restoratively driven discipline. In my training and experience, I have had great exposure to newer digital technologies that facilitate this approach. Gillis Dental Implants is built on this philosophy and working collaboratively with other dentists on all aspects of dentistry, whether it be the problem-solving,technical end, the artistry required, or all three.”
-Michael Gillis
The Foundation of Gillis Dental Implants
I hold a Masters degree (M.Sc) in Oral Implantology from Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany. I chose this university because of its terrific reputation in implantology. The degree included hundreds of hours of clinical treatment, research, labs, months of class work on site and from my home base in Halifax, oral examination, written examination and, of course, a thesis.
I am currently a clinical supervisor of MSc students for Goethe University and a guest lecturer for Dalhousie University, Faculty of Dentistry. I am an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology (ABOI). I am currently working on advance credentialing with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).
Over the years, I`ve been fortunate to have trained under some giants in the field of implant dentistry. Among these are: Dr Georg Nentwig (inventor of the Ankylos implant), Dr Paul Weigl, Dr Otto Zuhr, Dr. Hans Lauer, Dr Michael Pikos, Dr Maurice Salama, Dr. Hilt Tatum, Dr Eduardo Anitua and others. I have always believed you can learn something from everybody and my thirst for education has not yet been quenched.
I offer educational programs for dentists wanting to place and restore implants. Visit Eastern Centre for Dental Implant Education to learn more about the courses I offer.
I am licensed as a general dentist and have 22 rewarding years of general dentistry. During that time I also practiced implant dentistry and completed my Masters degree in Oral Implantology. I decided to sell my stake in my general practice with Halifax Dental Group and opened Gillis Dental Implants, a practice solely devoted to implant dentistry.
I have always worked collaboratively with my colleagues and look forward to working with general dentists to assist with implant dentistry.
We use digital technologies that help generate great clinical outcomes. Among these technologies are Conebeam CT (Carestream CS9300), optical impressions (3Shape Trios3), 3Shape Dental System with Implant Studio for the design of surgical guides, Stratasys Orthojet 3D printer for guide fabrication, Roland DWX-50 for in-house milling of PMMA provisional restorations.
I use a digital workflow approach to implant dentistry and I am very excited to have all of the technology to support this. Using this technology allows me to provide (or help other dentist provide) reliable excellent results when it comes to implant treatment planning, placement and restoration.
Conebeam CT and optical impressions complement each other and allow for a complete picture of the patient`s situation. This information is used to plan implant placement. Once the most optimal implant placement is determined, a surgical guide can be fabricated to guide the surgery. This restoratively driven process leads to accurate and easy implant placement as well as a more successful restorative phase. Digital work flow accurately guides this process which leads to less complications and better overall placement of the implant.
If you are interested in learning more, contact me and I will happily show you around my lab and how digital technology can work for you.
I have built my career on working collaboratively with other dentists on all aspects of dentistry, whether it be the problem-solving, technical end, the artistry required, or all three. And I value the collaborative approach with patients where I explain the issues to them, highlight my recommendations, and discuss with them the options they might consider.
I work with dentists to provide the following services for their patients:
- Implant planning (using 3 Shape Implant Studio and Dental System, Trios 3 digital impression and CBCT)
- In house surgical guide fabrication (using 3DShape Implant Studio and Stratasys 3D printing)
- Surgical placement of dental implants (in preparation for the dentist to restore) and in house milling of PMMA provisional using a 5-axis milling machine (single or multi-unit)
- Implant- related hard and soft tissue grafting (site preparation)
- Implant restoration
- Management of complications
I have been at it for a long time and I truly do love it. I think it is because it encompasses so much of what I like about the profession itself: It is cognitively challenging. It is artistic. I get involved in all aspects of care including the lab side. I like the technology. I like my patient family. I like my colleagues: I find that folks really involved in the profession are enthusiastic and its fun to associate with people who are wired that way. And ultimately, it is very rewarding to be good at something that helps give a patient something back that they were missing: Their smile. Their confidence. Their comfort.