Coachman Tradition
The Coachman Family has over 168 years of tradition in Dentistry, and is currently in the 6th generation of dentists. The origin of the Coachman family coincides with the beginning of Dentistry as a profession itself, in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1849, John Keyes Washington, already graduated in Medicine from the Medical College of Ohio, United States, received his degree of Dental Surgeon from Ohio College of Dental Surgery, starting to contribute significantly to the development of scientific literature in dentistry. After the Civil War in the Unites States, from 1861 to 1865, when John served as an officer surgeon in the Army, the family decided to move to Brazil. They settled in Rio de Janeiro, where they began their activities in dentistry, which were greatly enriched with their important contributions, marked by the pursuit of accuracy and clinical excellence since then.
In 1874, John William Coachman received “Dental Office” title from the Brazilian Imperial Government and, together with his brothers Charles Whiting Keyes and William Baldwin Keyes, he began what would become a tradition for the family in the country: to lead and increasingly improve this important field of Medicine. They have excelled in the field, which resulted in serving the Emperor Dom Pedro II, thus becoming close to the palace for many years.
Later, headed by John William and his brothers-in-law, the Coachman & Cia. clinic, located at Rua Ouvidor, 130 in Rio de Janeiro, was consolidated in the country as a reference of commitment to quality. John William´s sons continued the tradition and graduated in Dentistry. Hentz, one of his heirs, moved to São Paulo bringing with him the legacy of the Coachmans. The next generation did the same: graduated from the School of Dentistry at the University of São Paulo, Alfredo and Charles began to build the family’s admired career in the city.
The Coachmans have become known in the community for their accuracy, quality and for the longevity of their work in gold inlays, with own innovative formulations for the time. Also considered innovative in the 50s was the model of working as a clinical staff, with their own lab and a property designed for this purpose, located outside the city center.
The fifth generation of the family is represented by Carlos, Robert and Carlos Eduardo, also graduated at the University of São Paulo.. In 1994, Robert establishes the Keyes-Coachman Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry and Oral Health, with leading role in the introduction of modern cosmetic restorative dentistry in Brazil. Events, symposia and workshops with international teaching staff promoted the integration between clinical and commercial academic sectors, allowing the introduction of these new concepts that have revolutionized restorative dentistry. Carlos was also devoted to spreading these new concepts. By conducting innovative workshops on main Brazilian congresses and using high technology, the brothers performed live procedures that were later projected on large screens for the audience, through intra and extraoral micro cameras. Carlos, who was also a pioneer in the use of Laser Beam and the application of anthroposophic Medicine knowledge in Dentistry cooperated, in 1999, with the founding of the Brazilian Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and was appointed its 1st President, a position he held for two years.
Yet at the beginning of this new era, Dr. Robert conceived the project of the existing Well Clinic, a transdisciplinary orofacial clinical center. Focused on dentistry, but with strong concern with integration with all clinical and therapeutic areas, Well Clinic also has numerous other renowned professionals in virtually all specialties, taking upon itself the commitment of carrying on this remarkable tradition included in the 1994 Guinness Book of Records as the oldest family dedicated to dentistry worldwide.
At this new clinic, the Coachmans are organized around the goal of not only integrating several specialties of Dentistry, but all of them to Medicine and its many supplementary areas. An approach of rescue and synthesis that can, again, join science, art and all-time traditions on the eternal pursuit of full health. They also created the 1st Smile Design Center in the world and, consequently, DSD (Digital Smile Design), considered a conceptual protocol that offers awesome advantages to the patient and has become a world reference.
