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Nobel Biocare Global Symposium 14 special feature A sound investment in professional development “I always wanted to partner with a global organization” by Michael Stuart, Nobel Biocare Dr. Simonas Bankauskas, who spoke yes- terday at the NEXT GEN forum for emerging leaders at the Nobel Biocare Global Sympo- sium in New York, U.S., has gone from dental school graduate to head of the largest den- tal chain in Lithuania within ten years. The secret to his success? A dedication to devel- oping his skills. Bankauskas was intent on starting with dental implant surgery early on. “I had heard it could help people and be a good opportu- nity,” he recalled. “I saw an introductory im- plantology course being advertised by Nobel Biocare and I knew I wanted to do it. At that time it was a significant investment, it was almost a choice between learning and eating, but I took the chance.” It was a decisive mo- ment that would mark the start of a career path Bankauskas has been following ever since. After presenting him with the certificate for completing the course, the Nobel Biocare representative who had arranged the course introduced him to a colleague as the “future No. 1 dental surgeon in Lithuania.” For a goal-oriented young clinician like Bankauskas, this was further motivation to see how far he could go. Learning from the best Bankauskas began placing implants al- most immediately after the course and real- ized that there was much more he wanted to learn. He began investing in training around the globe, visiting some of the world’s most prominent clinicians in order to gain new perspectives and find answers to the ques- tions that arose as he made progress in the field. With words of advice from the likes of Drs. Paulo Malo and Sascha Jovanovic still ringing in his ears, he returned to Lithuania where he began to establish his reputation. Having quickly recouped the money spent on training, Bankauskas used funds origi- nally put aside for a lakeside summerhouse to open a clinic of his own. Rapid development A new clinic, of course, added the pres- sures of practice management to those of clinical work. Again, Bankauskas invested in his own development to obtain the required skills, completing an executive MBA. His thesis looked specifically at how to expand dental clinics. While his super- visor considered the plan overly ambitious, Bankauskas was soon testing his proposals in practice. Today, Bankauskas runs seven clinics across Lithuania, with more set to open soon. Last year, he placed around 2,600 Nobel Biocare implants and treated about 400 pa- tients according to the All-on-4 concept. Partnering for success While his career has evolved at a fast pace, one thing has remained a constant: his partnership with Nobel Biocare. “That first Nobel Biocare representative I met on that first training course took such good care of me, gave me the encouragement I needed,” Bankauskas explained. “I always wanted to partner with a global organization—a service provider with true quality control. I work with Nobel Biocare because, like me, they are always focused on the patient.” Dr. Simonas Bankauskas runs seven clinics across Lithuania. Last year alone, he placed over 2,000 Nobel Biocare implants, many of them as part of the All-on-4 treatment concept. More to explore! Combining practice development skills with clinical learning is the focus of Nobel Biocare’s new Guide to Growth program. It is designed to help ambitious clinicians fulfill their potential. Find out more at www. nobelbiocare.com/grow. © one AND only/Shutterstock.com