Coffee Talk

DR. CHRISTIAN COACHMAN, the influential founder of Digital Smile Design, has a podcast, Coffee Break With Coachman, in which he sits down with noted dental figures. He recently spoke with Dr. Nelson Silva, a digital-dentistry specialist and a professor of restorative dentistry at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in his native Brazil. Among the highlights: 

Coachman: Before I was 30, I had left Brazil twice only. For me, to build a career outside Brazil seemed a utopian dream. What were your first steps? Who helped you develop this international career? 

            Silva: From the beginning, I was looking for a way to be a teacher. I wanted to go to the United States—but honestly, Disney World is what I was really aiming for. I was looking to get a Ph.D., though, and I got support from the Brazilian government to leave Brazil for my degree. 

            Coachman: So the first step for you in pursuing your dream of being abroad, of studying in the U.S., was connecting with good mentors during dental school. 

            Silva: That’s it. Find the best match for you as a person. “Just go [overseas] to go” is not good enough. Find someone with a skill who can find the best spot for you. 

           Below, view the complete “Coffee Talk With Coachman” podcast with Dr. Nelson Silva, a digital-dentistry specialist and a professor of restorative dentistry at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in his native Brazil: