This interview was conducted by journalists from Portugal News. You can find the original content here.
Now back again in Albufeira with a new project, doctor Cris Piessens is entirely committed to dental implantology. A speciality to which he has been dedicated for the past 30 years.
Doctor Cris Piessens loves perfection and his work reflects this philosophy.
“I have a defect: professionally I like everything to be perfect.” said the Doctor who takes his passion for his work to a level of perfection, striving for just one goal: to honour the confidence the patient places in his hands by giving them the smile they have been wanting for a lifetime.
The success of his work and his envious reputation means that he always is welcoming new patients from all over the world, resulting in placing between 400 and 500 dental implants yearly.
Doctor Cris Piessens’s journey first began in 1986 when he graduated from Brussels University. The following year in 1987, after a full year of postgraduate specialisation, he fondly remembers placing his first implant. Since then we can trace a path of implant courses, workshops and congresses which have taken him on a worldwide voyage visiting, and constantly learning from, the most renowned professors in the field.
Today doctor Cris Piessens himself has become an international reference in implant dentistry.
Under the motto: “Knowledge is a unique kind of property indeed you can share it with others while still possessing it.” he is lecturing with unequalled enthusiasm and experience with his own courses, mainly teaching the All-on-Four technique. As such he has instructed many of his Algarve based colleagues working with his particular AO4 protocol.
This aspect of his life is portrayed through the walls of the back office where he welcomed The Portugal News.
On one side we see a huge wood-carved map of the world, while on the opposite wall we read the diplomas he has collected, spanning more than 30 years of continuous learning. Doctor Cris Piessens, in addition to being a professional recognised by his peers, is also loved among his patients for his warm and human approach. His calm and gentle nature will make you rapidly feel at ease and confident.
A large part of this is helped by the fact that, being Belgian, Dr Cris Piessens is fluent in 5 languages. Speaking Dutch, French, English, German and Portuguese makes communication in the dental clinic so much easier.
Since he was a boy Dr Cris loved working with his hands. This dream has made obvious the choice of changing to dentistry after 3 years of studying general medicine.
He realised how special dentistry is in the relationship between the patient and the doctor who follows the entire process from the beginning until the final result.
“What I love in dentistry is seeing the patient entering the clinic with a problem, making a medical diagnosis and planning, treating them all the way and seeing this patient leaving with the results of our work. This combination of science, knowledge, experience, and a touch of artistry, makes dentistry the most beautiful profession I could ever have chosen. That does not often happen in other medical areas. This direct result from my work motivates me to reach out for that level of constant perfection.
“For the dentist, that means that we have to meet the expectations of our patients. Therefore during the first appointment, we talk and discuss options to try to understand the patient’s goals and wishes. This first consultation takes place in the back office in a relaxed atmosphere away from the dental chair.
“Only when the patient fully understands and feels comfortable with the proposed treatments we start making further appointments.”
In the new clinic in Albufeira- Algarve Dental Implants opened in September 2020- doctor Cris Piessens has all the facilities for his professional needs: a specific dental implant surgery room, a 3D dental scan, the All-on-4 dental implant protocol recovery, an in house laboratory for “same- day- teeth” procedures as well as a photo studio for planning and documenting new cases.
In this new project, the doctor prefers to dedicate himself to what he really loves: implantology.
“Less is more” is the principle he follows in this stage of his life.
I work less but I’m dedicating more time to every single patient, giving us more satisfaction and even better results.