Dr Willie Ritz

Dr Willie Ritz has been a specialist periodontist in private practice since 2005. He qualified as a general dentist in 1996 at the University of Pretoria. After working in the South African National Defence Force (Potchefstroom) and Portsmouth (England), Willie returned to South Africa in 2000 to specialise in Periodontics and Oral Medicine. He obtained the MChD (Periodontics and Oral Medicine) degree with distinction in 2004 from the University of Pretoria. He received an award as the best post-graduate dental student of that year.

Currently, Dr Willie serves as a Cape Town dentist, having won the prestigious Colgate Award for his research project entitled: “The effect of Tetracycline root detoxification on human periodontal ligament fibroblast attachment”. In 2005, he presented his research at the IADR World Congress in Baltimore, USA.

Willie is particularly interested in using partial extraction therapy to minimise postoperative resorption of the alveolar bone. He was probably the first clinician in South Africa to use socket shield implant treatment. Willie is also passionate about saving teeth using minimally invasive periodontal treatment.

He feels that life is about growing and improving yourself. This philosophy and the opportunity to work with and share knowledge with world-class clinicians have been the driving force behind his going into partnership with the Enamel Group.

However, Dr Willie Ritz is more than a periodontist. He loves to spend time with his wife and two children and enjoys scuba diving whenever he gets the opportunity.