April 20 to 26, 2025 is National Prosthodontics Awareness Week (NPAW). This week strives to educate the public about the dental specialty of prosthodontics. This week serves as a platform to highlight the expertise of Prosthodontists. Below is an interview with Dr. Robert Slauch, a Board-Certified Prosthodontist at Pi Dental Center. Below is an interview with Dr. Slauch for National Prosthodontics Awareness Week. In this interview he discusses his reasons for becoming a Prosthodontist and his outlook for the future of the patient care.
Why did you decide to become a dentist?
“When I was a kid, I had an accident where I fell and broke a lot of my front teeth. So, I spent a lot of time in the dentist’s office between fixing my teeth and getting braces early. I grew up becoming really good friends with my family dentist. This early exposure to the profession made me consider dentistry as a possible career. I liked how my dentist helped me and I wanted to help others.”
What drew you to Prosthodontics as a specialty?
“Back when I was in college, I accepted an internship with Dr. Balshi and Dr. Wolfinger in 2011. During that time, I was immersed in the treatment modalities and various aspects that allowed them to reconstruct a smile. I liked the complexity of the specialty and how each case provides its own challenges. You can come to work every day feeling very challenged”
Why should a patient see a Prosthodontist instead of a general dentist?
“Prosthodontists have formal advanced training of up to 3 to 5 years more than a general dentist does. They have an advanced understanding of implant surgery, esthetics, and how our occlusion (our bite) plays a role in our overall oral health and function.”
Why should we have National Prosthodontics Awareness Week?
“The specialty of Prosthodontics is one of many specialties in dentistry. However, I would argue that it is one of the least-known specialties. Orthodontists, Oral Surgeons and Periodontists are household names; most people have never heard of a Prosthodontist. Prosthodontists are specialists that people don’t understand are available unless their general dentist refers them or research is done online. This week allows Prosthodontics to be on the forefront of outreach to educate patients on their opportunity to improve their oral health.”
What is new and exciting in the field of Prosthodontics?
“Prosthodontics has entered an almost fully digital world. With the use of scanning technology and intraoral scanners, we can now mill and even print dental prostheses, whereas before, these things had to be made by hand. This technology allows for increased accuracy and improved fit and a better patient satisfaction and experience going through treatment.”
What about AI?
“Artificial Intelligence is starting to have an important role in society with smartphones and other technologies and is now entering the field of dentistry. This includes the use of scanning technology and helping us detect disease pathology. I am interested in seeing how AI advances in the next five years.”
What are your goals for the future?
“My goals for the future are to continue to practice at a high level and to provide a unique service to our patients and help them achieve their goals in improving their dental health and to stay abreast of new technologies and advancements in the field of Prosthodontics.”
