Dr. DiPilla owns multiple practices, serves as the Detroit Pistons team dentist, and uses a wellness program designed to treat way more than just cavities.
By Stan Goff, Senior Managing Editor
Sure, Robert DiPilla, DDS, can fill a cavity and create a great looking smile, but he goes above and beyond just general dentistry at his practice, DiPilla Dentistry.
Dr. DiPilla, who serves high-profile clientele across multiple practices in Michigan and New York City, offers comprehensive services to help patients feel better, sleep better, and stay healthy. That’s why his DiPilla Wellness program is uniquely designed to feel more like a spa retreat than a medical visit.
DiPilla’s intent is to determine why patients are having issues—what’s causing a patient to suffer from issues like dry mouth, periodontal disease, or sleepless nights, so if, for example, a patient is grinding their teeth when sleeping, treatment can be about prevention and correction, not just making a bite guard.
The DiPilla Wellness program includes:
- Saliva and genetic testing to uncover the hidden connection between oral health and whole-body wellness
- Peptide therapy for longevity, vitality, and rejuvenation
- Facial aesthetic treatments that blend dental expertise with cosmetic artistry to design faces, not just teeth
- A high-touch, concierge environment featuring sound-proof treatment suites, aromatherapy, custom lighting, and premium entertainment
Dr. DiPilla, who serves as the official team dentist for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, recently opened a new, state-of-the-art dental facility in Birmingham, Michigan. Featuring an expanded footprint and cutting-edge technologies that ensure even more elevated oral care, the practice is welcoming metro Detroit patients to experience a new comprehensive era of dental excellence.
“Where I’ve been going with my experience is that we’re becoming a mechanic of the mouth. And what I mean by that is that we’re not being doctors of the mouth,” he explained. “If there’s a problem…a tooth breaks, there’s a cavity, we fix it. For me, I want to know, why is this happening?”
In dental school in the late 1980s, Dr. DiPilla and his classmates focused on the academics in relation to biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, biomaterials, and oral medicine. As a young, future dentist, he was eager to start cutting teeth and making crowns, but the philosophy 30-plus years ago didn’t emphasize overall health the way it does today as there was not as much science on the oral-systemic link. Awareness has increased dramatically in recent years, so many dentists and patients now know just how important healthy mouths are to overall health.
“I remember during the first two years [of dental school], it was more academic learning of certain principles, and I remember I couldn’t wait to get to the other side. I couldn’t wait to wax a tooth and create a crown,” Dr. DiPilla said. “As I reflect on that and I look back, I go, man, you know what the most important truth for those first two years was. It was understanding ‘the why’.”
Spreading the Wellness Word
Dr. DiPilla is driven by many factors. There is so much evidence today linking periodontal disease to serious health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and more. His father passed away due to complications related to diabetes, and he believes today’s treatments and diagnoses from dentists can help save lives of patients in similar situations.
As a well-known clinician, he uses his status to teach both practitioners and patients the importance of the relationship between a healthy mouth and an overall healthy body.
“I’m a big advocate of continuing education and mentorship. I think this is a great opportunity for young dentists to get back to their roots and be doctors of dental medicine,” Dr. DiPilla said.
If, for example, a perio patient comes in every 3 months and the bleeding and the inflammation isn’t improving, even if they’re doing their part with scaling and root planing, using the best toothbrush and water flossers, are clinicians really helping that patient as best as possible?
“I look at peeling back the layers of oral medicine and assessing the oral microbiome. Are we making patients better or are we just putting a Band-Aid on things, leading to the end result being a tooth extraction down the road?” he asked.
“So, this whole paradigm shift for me was a personal story. My dad passed away 25 years ago, complications with diabetes. And, of course, in dental school, I had to make him dentures because he had [diabetes] at an early age, and he had his teeth taken out because of the systemic disease that he had. If he had received the right treatment earlier in life, he would be alive today,” Dr. DiPilla explained. “We consider that. You know, I’m not going to call myself a biological dentist; I think I’m more of a regenerative dentist. And what I mean by that is, let’s get back to health. Let’s reduce inflammation. It’s so often about reducing inflammation in the body.”
That’s where peptides come into play. Curodont (Vvradis) helps naturally rebuild tooth enamel from the inside out, using minerals from saliva to repair lesions. Clinicians also should be aware of the benefits of nutrients like NAD+ and antioxidants like glutathione, Dr. DiPilla added.
“These are all key things that a dentist should be involved in. Because here’s the interesting part: most patients will see their dentist every 3 months, 4 months, or 6 months,” he said, noting that these patients may not be seeing their primary care physician nearly as often. “Here in our office, we do a lot of sleep screening, and we make the proper referral. I think this approach is very important to make our patients healthier. If we see veneers breaking down once again, we want to know: is it inflammation? Occlusion? Why are they grinding their teeth? Do they have a sleep issue? This is a perfect opportunity to get back to oral medicine.”
The Tools Are Available
Advances in materials and equipment, as well as technology, play a big role in helping today’s dentists deliver optimal patient care.
Dr. DiPilla’s practices take advantage of artificial intelligence, including Pearl, 3D printers, laser techniques with BIOLASE all-tissue lasers, ozone therapy, genetic testing in office, and more. The information provided by CBCT systems is another huge benefit and it can help with treating airway issues, implant guidance, and a whole new realm of diagnosis details that didn’t exist when Dr. DiPilla was in dental school.
“I want to advocate for our patients. Also, I’m very fortunate that I have 22 doctors that I mentor,” he said. “I’m going to be 62 years old this year, and I still love what I’m doing. We must treat people with empathy. We need a holistic approach. So, to me, that’s really the most important part of what we do here at DiPilla Dentistry. We take that approach. To be a dentist today is so exciting.”
Keeping Busy
Dr. DiPilla, a native of Michigan, first practiced dentistry in New York and had the honor of working with Larry Rosenthal, DDS, a pioneer in cosmetic dentistry. Once he started to build a family, he returned to the suburbs of Detroit.
His first Michigan practice was in Birmingham, with the second in downtown Detroit, followed by locations in New Baltimore and St. Clair Shores.
When the Detroit Pistons first asked him to be the basketball team’s dentist, he agreed to give it a try for a year. The requirements included seeing the players in his office and attending every home game, which as a fan, was a great perk. It’s been eight years since he took on that role, and he loves it.
“The reason I love it is that the organization, under Tom Gores, is fantastic; one of the best organizations,” Dr. DiPilla said. “What he does for the employees, what he does for the organization and the doctors, is amazing.”
With tall athletes leaping for the ball and swinging elbows under the basket, a team dentist always needs to be ready to jump into action.
Last season, center Jalen Duren was head-butted during a game and lost a tooth. Dr. DiPilla and his team rushed to work and treated him on the spot.
“He got head butted and his tooth avulsed on the floor,” he explained. “So, we had to pick it up and head into the locker room. We numbed him up, implanted the tooth back in, wired him up and we were all set.”
His patients also get a kick out of seeing NBA stars in the waiting room at their dentist’s office.
“Overall, it’s been a lot of fun, and it’s great to see all the players in the office,” said DiPilla.
