It Is Happening Just Like I Said It Would

It is a very sad day for me. My good friend, Dr. AJ Monicelli retired from dentistry after 34 years of practice at the age of 60. Why did he leave a job that he was very good at and extremely well trained for? He too had spent more than a million dollars becoming an elite clinical dentist in Albion, NY, located half way between Buffalo and Rochester.

So why did my friend decide to leave?

Some would say that his neck and back had just become too painful to continue...but that would not be the truth. He is leaving because fewer and fewer people expect, demand,want and are willing to pay for excellent dental treatment. People want inexpensive, mediocre, insurance paid dentistry that starts to fail the minute they leave the dental office.

Dr. Monicelli retired because fewer and fewer people wanted him to restore their teeth and mouth the way they are supposed to be restored and after years of frustration and disappointment, he decided that the folks in his community were no longer worth his caring, concern and skill.

Trust me when I tell you that my profession cannot afford to lose one of the best. I told you a year ago that if we as a country refuse to buy excellence that it will cease to exist. And now there is an entire area of Upstate NY without an excellent dentist. I am sad about my friend AJ but I am also sad because I know that the same thing could happen to me

"I Liked You Better Before You Knew Anything"

Yesterday was an interesting day in my Troy, NY office. I saw three patients that have been with me for 30 years...THIRTY YEARS!!!! None of the three would ever consider finding a new dentist to treat them.
A fair number of my patients have transferred to other local dentists over the years because they were seeking dentists that would participate in their insurance. These patients were looking for mediocre quality at a low price and there is nothing wrong with that if that is what you want.
I started studying my craft...I mean REALLY studying...in 1992 and one of my patients asked to speak with me privately in 1995 as he was heading off to another dentist. He told me that he was leaving my practice and ended the conversation with, " I liked you better before you knew anything."

He wanted a dumb dentist? Did he also want to be treated by a cardiologist who didn't know anything? Or have his brakes on his car fixed by an untrained mechanic?

Patients that have been my patient for decades have witnessed an incredible transformation in me, my staff and my office.

My interest in dentistry and my passion for dentistry have never waned. My concern for and dedication to my patients has been constant throughout my career.

Does it surprise me that I have patients that have been with me for 30 years??? Not at all. What does surprise me is how any patient could LEAVE our office.

And that surprise and hurt will always be there.

The 22 Year Old Gold Bridge

Twenty two years ago I placed a three unit all gold bridge to replace a missing first molar.
Over the years, my patient became self conscious of the appearance of the gold and wanted to replace my perfect bridge with a tooth colored bridge but the bridge was in excellent condition and there was no valid reason to replace it according to the patient's insurance rules. Well after 22 years of use, the gold finally stretched and we saw new decay on the x ray and we knew that the time had come to replace the bridge. Everything a dentist does will fail given a sufficient amount of time; all metals corrode and bend which leads to failure.
Folks think that dentistry is expensive and as I have said before, on the day that the check is written...the cost is high...So how much did it cost my patient to use her bridge for the last 22 years? EXACTLY 12 CENTS A DAY. And how much cheaper do you want dentistry to be?????
Oh yes, I very carefully cut the bridge off and returned the gold bridge to my patient so that she can cash in her gold and probably get $150 which will bring the cost down to TEN CENTS A DAY FOR 22 YEARS....
There is nothing that a consumer can purchase that provides more value than great dentistry....NOTHING!

Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason

I will tell you that ALL dentists earn much more money doing crowns than by placing beautiful, strong, tooth conserving direct bonded FILLINGS. This is a fact.
Why would I place 5 fillings when given the opportunity to do 5 crowns? Because it was not in the BEST interest of my patient. You see, my patient has severe dry mouth which means that she gets lots of new cavities and tooth decay around a new crown means the crowns must be replaced while tooth decay around a filling means that we can repair the filling.
I recently placed fillings for my patient with dry mouth instead of crowns and posted the case on the ACE forum for comments and criticism by my peers.
What did my peers say?

Outstanding service!
This is geriatric care @ its finest. This is text book quality care.
Heck, these patients are NOT in a situation, in which insurance dictates fees, & generates an absurdly low fee for direct restorative care. You are positioned to take the required time & effort, & generate a fantastic direct resin service

I am honored that my peers recognize that I place my patients best interest ahead of MY financial best interest.

But isn't this why I became a doctor?

I Didn't Do Anything Special

"Just wanted to send a big thank you to Dr. Benjamin for being so caring and thoughtful regarding Cass. Thanks for being an awesome dentist and person. :)" A....
My office philosophy has always been to do the right thing and to take care of my patients. I believe that I do nothing special when I put into practice my office philosophy.
In today's world, this apparently IS something special because patients have gone out of their way to comment on our office and to send notes of appreciation and gratitude.
If I were looking for a new dentist to take care of my family, I believe that our pursuit of excellence and our concern for our patients makes us an ideal dental practice.

Questions on Health Care

Should any of our children be unable to get health insurance because they had the misfortune to be born with a health issue?
Should any of us be forced into bankruptcy because we develop cancer and either the bills or the cancer will kill us?
Should poor folks be allowed to take an ambulance to an emergency room at a cost of $500 to the taxpayers when they have a toothache?
Should society pay two million dollars to save an 11 oz baby?
What do you think?

In a Concerned, Compassionate, Caring and Competent Way.

Concerned, Compassionate, Caring and Competent.
Isn't this what a doctor is supposed to be?
Where did we go wrong?
When did we stop caring?
When was it acceptable to place a Tee Time ahead of patient time?
When did it become acceptable to take a weekend orthodontic course and then call yourself an orthodontist?
Think about this.

The Reputation to Have

Susan's watch wasn't keeping the correct time so we took the watch to Frank Adam's Jewelers on the ground floor of 18 Division Street. Susan gave the young lady behind the counter all the necessary information and then I told her that I have an office upstairs. The young lady said, "Oh you are Dr. Benjamin....Everyone says that you are the best."
It has never been my goal to be the biggest dental practice in the area or to make the most amount of money...It has ALWAYS been my goal to try to be the best at what I do.
It is nice to know that the word in Saratoga is starting to get around.

I will do everything that I can to try to do the best possible work.

"Intensity is the price of excellence"

The world's most successful investor, Warren Buffet said,'"Intensity is the price of excellence."
That is another way of saying that if you want to be REALLY good at something, you have to focus on that one thing to the exclusion of everything else.

The first and only time that the American Dental Association surveyed their membership on the question, "Would you be a dentist again?" and 70% responded, "NO"
So that means that 70% of the dentists are NOT FOCUSING on their work and will accept mediocrity....or less.

Why would a patient select a dentist that does not enjoy what they do or would rather be doing something else? WHY?

You will get much better dentistry at a lower cost (when amoratized over the years of service) by selecting one of the top 15% of dentists...And that is a fact.

The Invitation: SUNY/Buffalo School of Dentistry calls

Last Memorial Day Weekend I was invited to visit my Dental School so that I would learn what roll I would play at the school in the future. I met with the Dean and the Chairman of the Department of Restorative Dentistry to review recent events at the School. In November, the Dean and his wife (also a dentist) visited my new Saratoga office so see how a high quality and ethical dental practice functions. Last month, I was invited by the Chair of Restorative Dentistry to give an all day lecture to 7 of the top senior dental students which was extremely well received by our students. Last week, the former Dean called and invited me to come to the School, meet the new Dean and have dinner at his home. In addition, I will learn what my new position will be although I signed papers which said, 'Associate Clinical Professor.' I am looking forward to returning to my Dental School again in an 'official capacity' rather than as a 'visiting instructor.'

I am honored to have attained a sufficient amount of knowledge and expertise in the field of fine restorative dentistry to teach the next generation of dentists.

About 30 years ago, there used to be an ad on television with the slogan, "You have come a long way baby."

Indeed I have.