Some Dentists Get It

My work in restoring your teeth with minimal destruction of natural tooth structure using bonded resin under a rubber dam is well known around the United States by those dentists who care about improving their skills to take better care of THEIR patients.

A dentist from Georgia wrote the following on the ACE Forum today:

Ray, I agree. Here’s a point. This is very expensive CE when you consider the flight, room, food, etc. Personally, the mish mash is not what I want any longer. I would prefer that ACE get maybe six top speakers and give use an in depth 7-14 hour program like Kent’s course. It is very difficult for me to find CE that actually adds to my knowledge or what I actually do. I could spend a day with someone like Gerald picking up gems on doing direct composites. That would draw me.

Some dentists understand that it is no longer necessary to remove healthy tooth structure to place a crown 'so that the tooth is stronger.' THE TOOTH IS 100% WEAKER WHEN A DENTIST PLACES A CROWN ON YOUR TOOTH. The day the we strengthened a tooth with a crown or onlay (except when a back tooth has a root canal when a crown is vital for its survival) is OVER.

DON'T let your dentist cut down your teeth. Find a dentist who believes in conserving natural tooth structure because it is better for your teeth and significantly less costly (Better IS CHEAPER in this case.) A direct bonded resin restoration is about $300 and a crown is about $1250.

Only you have the choice...But other dentists want to learn how I do what I do.

Incredible

" I know of no one with your passion, and I must say that if I had not had a vacation in 26 years, you would find me at the asylum. Dentists will never understand you, and I hope you understand that...."

The American Dental Association has taken ONE survey in almost 40 years in which they asked dentists if they would become a dentist again. 70% responded that they would not be a dentist again.

I don't expect other dentists to understand me. I do expect that YOU understand that I am here to take care of you.

I just don't understand dentists that hate this job.I can think of nothing else that I would rather do than to help you keep your teeth.

"I Think That You Need to See This Patient"

I have tried to attract new patients to our practice for the last 15 years. Most of my new patients 'found' us on the internet and were excited about the quality of work that we were doing for our patients.

In the last few months, we have received phone calls from other general dentists and specialists asking me to see their patients.

I cannot understand the sea change that has occurred among dentists that has encouraged them to ask me to see their challenging patients.

I am so deeply honored and grateful to my local colleagues for their acceptance and their recognition.

Dentists are Taking Notice

I am awed by my colleagues comments about my work. Dentists make reference to me even when I am not posting any cases or commenting on a particular kind of treatment.
One of my ACE colleagues sent me an email in which he said the following:

"Well, not everyone....rather, not ANYONE has your talent for restorative dentistry."

My pursuit of excellence is beginning its 35th year and I am a better dentist now than a was a year ago and incredibly better than I was 5 years ago.

My promise to you is that I will continue to improve so that I can take care of you as you expect me to.

I have never been motivated by making money but what does motivate me is receiving the comments from other dentists who are amazed at the quality of work at 18 Division Street in Saratoga Springs.

YOU DESERVE THE BEST THAT I AM CAPABLE OF GIVING.

Dinners with My Specialists

Susan went to a conference in Seattle last week so I contacted the dental specialists that I refer you to and asked them if we could meet to discuss some cases. All three dentists jumped at the opportunity to meet, discuss our patient's treatment and have dinner.

Each specialist travelled to Saratoga for the meeting and thanked me for allowing them to treat MY PATIENTS.Each dentist in the past has told me that they love to take care of my patients because I spend a lot of time working up our cases to insure that we have great outcomes.

Why did I ask the specialists for a meeting? I didn't really want to eat alone but more importantly, to impress upon them that they are taking care of you, MY patient and that they need to understand that they must do everything possible to treat you well and perform at a high level.

I care about you and I won't let those that I ask to take care of you treat you like an 'average patient.' YOU are special to ME and I want other dentists to know that I expect them to take care of you like I take care of you.

I never miss an opportunity to tell you that I LOVE BEING YOUR DENTIST.

And I truly thank you for allowing me to take care of you.

True Relationships

Susan and I go for breakfast every Saturday at Compton's, a small breakfast place that many locals visit. Today, we were a little late and the waiting time was longer than I wanted to wait so we went to a new place down the street called Beverly's.
Susan ordered pancakes and the waiter was the son of Beverly and he told Susan that his mother spent 20 years perfecting the Pancake mix.(I would have liked Beverly)
When we left the restaurant, Beverely's son thanked us for coming to the restaurant and we thanked him for feeding us.

I thank every single patient that I treat at the end of the appointment for the trust that they place in me and for permitting me to take care of them. In turn, EVERY single patient thanks ME for taking care of them at a level that my colleagues tell me is among the best they have ever seen (See past posts of what other dentists say about my work.)

As I left the restaurant this morning I recognized that Beverly's son wanted to have a relationship with us. The basis of a relationship is that both parties have an interest in taking care of each other.

My relationship with my patients is that you trust me and pay me to take care of you which I am ethically bound to do and you appreciate me for taking care of you.

I love our relationship.

"Dentistry Is Easy"

This is what a dentist on the ACE Forum posted today. My response to him in a private email was that 'Fabulous dentistry is extraordinarily difficult but mediocre dentistry is indeed easy...Building a Toyota Corolla is quick,easy and cheap but building a Ferrari is challenging."

The dentist emailed me the following: Dentistry is not hard for you either because you love it, you know what to do and you know the expected outcome. Getting to that level is what is hard.

What everyone who knows me recognizes is that my pursuit of excellence on your behalf is non-stop. Good enough is NEVER good enough.

Let me be perfectly honest with you and tell you that I would not go to the average dentist to have MY TEETH fixed because average dentistry has become a very low standard.

I do dentistry for two reasons and two reasons only:
1. I love fixing teeth
2. I have an ethical obligation to do my very best work because you have trusted me to do so.

Dentistry is NOT EASY unless you don't care and I care passionately.

No one can ever say, "He does it for the money."

Happy Times

I remember when Tricia was pregnant with Matthew in 1985 and I told her that it was ok to sit down because she was not feeling well.

Yesterday Matthew was married to his long time girl friend, Amanda (since 8th grade!!!)and it was great to experience this joyous time with them and their parents, Tricia and Henry. It has been a pleasure to be part of their extended 'family' for almost 30 years.

(Aside: Even on this wonderful occasion, we spoke about Mark, Matthew's brother who passed away 13 years ago. We never forget him.)

Gray Heads (Again)

Last weekend the CBS SUNDAY MORNING program interviewed Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. He has been playing with the band or more than 45 years. On Sunday evening, Susan and I received a gift of tickets to see Elton John and he has been with two of his band members for more than 42 years. The show was fabulous and I went on to YouTube and watched the same songs that he sang on Sunday from concerts that he gave in the 1970s and 80s..Eleton John is better today than he was years ago.

A few months ago, I told you about an article in the New York Times in which a few thought that the Gray Heads need to get out of the way and let the young step in.

Who is better than Keith Richards? Or Elton John?

I am doing the best clinical dentistry of my career and I do not believe that there is a young local dentist who can take my place in the area of restoring teeth and implants.

In my opinion, the best professionals are in the age group of 59-64 and if we stepped aside, the world would lose some of the best and brightest.

So don't be so quick to ask those of us with gray hair to move aside.