What Others Say About My Work

I am fairly well known in the dental community and my work has long been recognized as a standard of excellence. This is what a dentist posted on the IDF (International Dental Forum) today:

Howard, I too admire Gerald’s work but I use a multi-chromatic material…a nanocomposite called Artiste. I do not like to depend on the chameleon affect. Gerald gets beautiful results with a minimum number of materials. I need a bucket full to get something that I like. I too see this too being whiter than the adjacent. The material I use has a base and an enamel shade for all the Ivoclar shades. I love Gerald’s stuff but would like to see what he could do with more shades…probably blazingly beautiful.

I truly want to be the very best that I can be so that when a patient comes to my office, they will know that I passionately care about what I do so that they will be taken care of at the highest possible level.

Thirty Five Years

Tomorrow marks the 35th anniversary of my graduation from SUNY/Buffalo School of Dentistry.

I have always tried to be 'good' at the things that I attempted.I ran high school track and cross country on one of the best high school teams in the nation...And I managed to win 5 metals despite being very short for a quarter miler.

In 1972, I purchased a camera and started taking thousands of pictures in the hope of being excellent.I had a great childhood mentor in photography in Neil Leifer, the greatest sports photographer of our time. My goal was to win some photo contests and I managed to do that as well.

Being a dentist is different though. This job is not about me but rather my patient. Oh yes, I have won a no holds barred national cosmetic contest and I have managed to become nationally recognized for direct bonding but that is not what is important.

What is important is taking care of you in the best possible way by trying to do exceptional dentistry.

If I had to give myself a grade at the 35 year point, I would have to use the word that Newton Fahl, the world's greatest adhesive dentist used in describing my work as he walked around the room speaking to each course member. The word he used was 'EXCEPTIONAL.'

My career has been exceptional because no dental school in the country believed that I should become a dentist. I would like to thank Dr. Joseph Accardo of Niagara Falls , NY for believing in me and fighting to give me a chance. Were it not for Dr. Accardo, I would not be doing what I do today.

Dentistry remains my favorite thing to do.

What You MUST Understand

As many of my patients know, I was injured in a car accident in 1976 just as I was about to enter my senior year of dental school. I had my right leg amputated and reattached in one of the world's first limb reattachments. Over the years, the pain in my knee has worsened and my limp has become more pronounced. Last year I consulted with a physician who deals with traumatic injuries and the rehabilitation that follows those injuries. I was told that I needed a knee replacement but that I did not have sufficient muscles to support an artificial replacement.

I recently called up my friend and physical therapist, Tony DeMatteo and asked him for the name of THE BEST knee surgeon that he knew and he immedicately came up with two of the very best, Dr. Thomas Sculco at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC and Dr. James Andrews of Alabama. Yesterday I consulted with Dr. Sculco and he looked at the x-rays, examined my knee and leg and informed me that he would do a knee replacement any time I wanted.

I smiled when I told Dr. Sculco about my local doctor and then I said, "I know how mediocre the average dentist is and I can only assume that your colleagues are no different than mine." He nodded in agreement.

When you seek out and are treated by THE BEST physicians and dentists, you will receive treatment that is so superior to what the average health care provider will offer you. You must accept the fact that mediocrity is available on every corner in America and the finding doctors who practice and believe in EXCELLENCE will take extra effort on your part...And guess what? It will cost more! But then again, aren't YOU worth it?

He Is Expensive

Several times a week a patient will relate to me that when they are discussing their dental treatment to a friend, family member or co-worker that my patient will mention my name and the response that they almost always receive is, "Well Dr. Benjamin is expensive." My patients are very defensive of me, my office and my work and usually respond with something like,"Well he is the best."

A few years ago I posted a blog in which a long time patient 'attacked' me when I walked into the hygiene room for a dental exam and said," I come here because you are very good but you are very expense." My response to that patient was, "Mrs. Smith, I certainly do appreciate the fact that you are my patient but your record on my computer says that I have not fixed a tooth for you in almost 15 years and all the work in your mouth is 17-22 YEARS old.

The fact is that I am NOT expensive at all. My success rate in a year is 99% which means that I virtually never have to redo my work and certainly not within the first 5 years. My work is complimented by dentists around the United States and in other parts of the world. And when one the top 5 restorative dentists in the WORLD says, "Jerry Benjamin from New York ... is a superb dentist who is really, really committed to EXCELLENCE." you know that you are getting VALUE for the money that you pay for treatment in my office.

What is REALLY EXPENSIVE is having a root canal fail and having to pay for it a second time. Or having a crown of questionable need placed on your tooth which costs you both your hard earned money and irreplaceable natural tooth structure. If someone does not understand something or they do not value their teeth, it is easy to condemn something as 'EXPENSIVE.'My patients understand that I will ALWAYS do my very best to take care of them and provide excellence in dental treatment whenever possible. But I will not lie to you and say that it does not bother me to be called 'EXPENSIVE.' It bothers me a great deal...but then those people that say that I cost too much never come to my office so they really do not understand.

Thank you for being my patient.