PRACTICE PROFILE
Lab and dental staff examine a new denture set with Dr. Topelson. His Affordable Dentures & Implants practice features an on-site lab for same-day service
Dr. Topelson with his wife, Regina
Do your patients come through referrals? Since my practice is new, a lot of patient flow does come from advertising to edentulous patients. We’re fortunate to be located in a visible, well-trafficked area. In the Aurora market, I observe lots of dental shoppers who want to know what makes a practice unique, and for us, that’s easy — we’re able to talk about our on-site lab or our low implant fees.
How long have you been practicing implant dentistry, and what systems do you use? I have practiced implant restoration since 1995 with a number of systems, such as Nobel Biocare®, BioHorizons®, Straumann® and others. Today, I place BioHorizons implants and love working with their guided surgery kit. To me, the biggest difference between many of these systems today is cost, and I spend a lot of effort working to pass those savings along to the patient. So we’re doing it for half the cost of other providers, while still going with a really reputable company we can stand behind in BioHorizons.
What training you have undertaken?
In dental school during the 1990s, we had an arrangement to learn on the Brånemark system, which was a great opportunity early in my career. Beyond my Implant Seminars course, I’ve studied with Dr. Virgil Mongalo and Dr. Justin Moody. I’m always looking to do more hands-on coursework with implants. The only way you get good is through repetition and focusing on more complex cases. 8 Implant practice
Dr. Topelson demonstrates his Carestream CS8100 3D system. Topelson believes investing in technology helps drive his practice’s success
Who has inspired you? I always have had my family’s backing. My wife always backs me up, and I strive to be successful as my dad, so I can support my kids the way he did. Professionally, I listen to as many people as I can. You have to learn a little bit from everybody. There are people out there who have a great reputation, but when you listen to them, you’re not impressed. I like to learn from somebody who shows me his/her mistakes. I can show you some amazing cases, but I want you to learn from my mistakes. That’s the best kind of teacher you can get.
What is the most satisfying aspect of your practice? Today, it’s the fact that we are able to help a lot of people who maybe don’t have the financial means, but who need help and are interested in implants. Finances don’t have to restrict you anymore.
Professionally, what are you most proud of? We’re helping people with critical needs. I’m most proud of my reputation among patients and colleagues. Being able to say, “I know I did the best I could on this patient,” is a rewarding feeling. And I don’t take anything for granted. Volume 10 Number 1