Prof Ronaldo Hirata, DDS, MS, PhD, finished his DDS at the Federal University of Parana in Curitiba, Brazil, before completing a 2-year operative dentistry specialty at the same university. To improve his scientific knowledge, he then finished a master’s degree in dental materials at the Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with a research thesis working with glass and polyethylene fibers to improve mechanical properties of composites.

Following, his PhD in restorative dentistry at the State University of Rio de Janeiro focused on the transmittance, reflectance, and fluorescence of composite resins, Dr Hirata undertook a postdoctoral certificate at New York University (NYU) working with plasma application on dentin surfaces and bonding strength analysis. Now, he is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomaterials at NYU with a secondary appointment in the Department of Cariology. Dr Hirata has lectured in more than 40 countries and published more than 100 papers in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. His previous books (TIPS, Artes Medicas, 2014; Shortcuts, Quintessence, 2017) were also published in three languages. Dr Hirata maintains a private practice limited to esthetic dentistry in Curitiba.