Roger P. Desilets, DDS

Dr. Desilets was instrumental in the formation of Central New England Endodontics & Implantology over forty years ago. He was born in Brookline and raised in northern Worcester County where the first office opened in 1970 on the Fitchburg – Leominster town line.

He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross and then attended Georgetown University School of Dentistry where he earned his D.D.S. degree, cum laude. He then went on to specialize at Boston University where he received his Certificate in Endodontics upon the completion of his residency training. His mentor was the late Dr. Herbert Schilder, world-renowned endodontic educator and developer of the so-called root canal Schilder Technique, featured in the 2003 movie Finding Nemo. He attended advanced implant courses in Switzerland taught by the world-renowned implant oral surgeon Dr. Daniel Buser, Dean, University of Berne Dental School.

His long interest in implantology dates back to his days as a student at Georgetown University. From the very beginning of his practice, he utilized endodontic implants for stabilizing pins to save teeth with fractured roots and/or compromised crowned-root ratios. When root form titanium implants became available in the 1980s, Dr. Desilets was the first endodontist in New England and one of the first nationally to develop the necessary surgical skills, offering patients implant replacements for non-salvageable teeth.

Dr. Desilets has held teaching and staff positions at Harvard University, Boston University, the Forsyth Dental Center and UMass Memorial Hospital. His keen interest in dental education has culminated with current involvement on the Deans Advisory Board (DAB) at Boston University headed by Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. Ten years ago he expanded his role as a philanthropist with a $50,000 gift to the Joan and Herbert Schilder Research Laboratory at Boston University and remains a member of the Dean’s Leadership Giving Society being one of five in the “President’s Associates”.

Dr. Desilets is a Life Member of the American Dental Association. He is a past Secretary and President of the Worcester District Dental Society and was honored to be President in 1995 presiding over its centennial celebration as the oldest component dental society in the nation. He served as an officer of the Massachusetts Association of Endodontists for eight years and was president for two. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics and is a former member of the Board of Directors and Life Member of the American Association of Endodontists. He is also recognized as the second Endodontist invited to be an active member of the American Osseointegration Society (AOS), the most respected Implant organization both in America and internationally.

Dr. Desilets has always been interested in cutting edge technologies to expand the scope of endodontic practice beyond basic root canal treatment. He was one of the first endodontists to develop advanced micro-surgical skills in the 1970s, rendering the term inoperable meaningless in endodontics. Translated into clinical practice, this means saving more teeth by operating through the socket on every root in the dentition, including molars. He was also one of the first endodontists to build-up badly damaged teeth after root canal treatments and incorporated localized single tooth gingival procedures into everyday endodontic practice. By doing so, this has significantly reduced time for both the patient and the referring doctor and provides an ideal foundation for the prosthetic crown procedures.