All Dentists Are the Same

Statistically, the average bonded white resin filling lasts 7 years...That means that some only last one or two years. My bonded resin fillings have lasted 22 years and counting....Why?

Average dentist's protocol for placing a resin filling: Steps

1.Administers Novocaine
2.Removes old failing filling or tooth decay
3.Starts bonding protocol
4.Places resin into tooth and shapes
5.Cures resin using one light from the bite surface only

My protocol for placing a resin filling: Steps

1. Administer Novocaine
2. Apply a rubber dam for complete isolation and visualization
3. Remove old failing filling or tooth decay
4. Use a tooth decay stain to guarantee that all tooth decay is removed
5. Place a bevel around all margins of the natural tooth to insure that filling does not permit saliva to get under new resin filling
6. Use a miniature sand plaster to completely clean the tooth for a perfect bonding surface
7. Start bonding protocol
8. Place resin into tooth and shape; Using a sable brush the resin in brushed over the beveled margin for complete sealing of tooth by the resin to insure a long lasting filling.
9. Using 2 powerful lights, the resin is cured (set) from both sides of the tooth (cheek and tongue) simultaneously  and finally from the bite surface. This improves the quality of the cured resin for long life.

The attention to detail is what enables my direct posterior resins last almost a quarter of a century or as long as a well placed mercury filling with much less chance of leakage. Why don't 95% of American dentists not place a rubber dam???

LAZINESS AND LACK OF CARING

All dentists are NOT the same any more than all baseball players, teachers, lawyers or car mechanics are the same.

Why do many Americans think or believe that all dentists are the same??? So that they can go to the cheapest dentist and not feel guilty.

This Is Why America Used to Work Better

Time is Running Out

Every four or five years, I write a blog about excellence. And in each blog I say, "If the American people do not buy excellence it will cease to exist."

Excellence in health care and dentistry ,in particular, is rapidly disappearing. Why? Who would like to spend 5,000, 6,000 or like myself 7,000 hours of high level, costly education if no one is willing to buy the exceptional care that a highly trained dentist is capable of delivering?

2018 was a relatively slow year for us and our first 'down' year since we moved to Saratoga. This does not bode well for those who want quality dentistry.

Just today a long time patient of 35 years called to tell me that he had a horrific toothache and the only thing that stopped the pain was placing an ice cube directly on his tooth. When the nerve of a tooth dies, gases are produced and because the body is 98.6 degrees, the gases expand and produce significant pain. The ice causes the gases to contract and stops the terrible pain.

This is a  patient who will not make it through the weekend because of the intense pain. I told him that I would call him right back. I called Root Canal Expert and asked for a favor for my patient.

Mission accomplished!!! I told my patient that he would get a call from Dr. Banch's office to provide the time. I also texted my patient:

Where else would you be able to get an appointment with one of the BEST doctors in the world with a few minutes notice?

His return text:

NO WHERE! Please.....never retire.

If you are considering treatment please have it done now or in the near future...Excellence will not be around forever and....

YOU are used to really good dental care....

A Good Guy With a Gun

We often hear that what we need are more good guys with a gun so that when a bad guy with a gun starts shooting, the good guy will stop him.

So how has this been working out?

For the forth time in a month, a good guy with a gun killed another good guy with a gun.

Helus, a 29-year law enforcement veteran, was set to retire from the Ventura County Sheriff's Office next year. He was among the first officers through the door at the Borderline when the shooting began November 8 and was shot as he tried to stop the gunman, who killed 11 others in the attack. 

From CNN today:

Helus later died at a hospital. 

Ayub said the accident was, in his view, "unavoidable." 

"They were ambushed almost immediately after entering," Ayub said. "They retreated and tried to stop the suspect with their own gunfire. And unfortunately, it was dynamic, there was a lot of movement, there was smoke, it was dark." 

Helus and the CHP officer entered the bar at the same time, he said, but at some point, Helus ended up between the officer and the gunman.

Three good 4 good people died because when the police arrive on the scene, they are unable to quickly discern who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.

So? What's the answer? I don't know but like other problems, the most apparent and easiest solution usually is not the right one.

The Constitution (Not Political)

The Constitution cannot be changed by a Presidential Executive Order. The President cannot change the 14th Amendment to the Constitution; or the 2nd Amendment if you prefer...CANNOT!

The President and his advisors KNOW WITH 100% CERTAINTY that he cannot change the Constitution with an Executive Order.

When people KNOW the truth but ignore the truth, they are lying.

Draw your own conclusions.

Vote

A Lack of Moral Leadership (Not political)

11 people are murdered. I don't care who they are or what their religion is.

I do care that there is a lack of outrage.

There is sadness.

But no outrage.

Where is our humanity?

What has happened to us as Americans?

We need to find out.

Personally, I AM outraged.

Knowingly Telling a LIE

FACEBOOK posts are often one sided supporting either Democratic or Republican ideas...I get that. This is who we have become as a country.

But frequently and often as a result of what people see on FOX News, people post absolute lies that they could have verified with a few key strokes.

A few days ago someone posted the following:

ALL CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS VOTE AGAINST 2.8% COST OF LIVING INCREASE.

Now THINK about this! What is the likelihood of ALL DEMOCRATS voting against Social Security????? If I was a betting man, I would tell you ZERO and I would be correct.

Do I get angry? Do I get upset? No, I go to SNOPES.com where I learn that this was a total LIE. The reality is that THE CONGRESS does NOT VOTE for cost of living increases. They are set by another branch of government.


Was it a Lie?
Should the person have verified the information?

YES AND YES...

Do not believe the majority of what you see on the internet.

A "Comfort" Number

There have been many times in my life that I wanted to buy something but had no  clue what was a good or fair price for that item. Today, because of the internet, it is certainly easier to find out a significant amount about an item or a service before a purchase is made. What I never did, however, was to pick a 'comfort number' of what an item SHOULD cost.. a "comfort number" (my phrase) is the number that I am comfortable in paying for an item REGARDLESS of what the item actually costs. It is the NUMBER that we WANT to pay even though we have no idea of what  the item actually sells for.

Where is this going....

I often have people present for a consultation for cosmetic dentistry that come in and say, "Oh I thought that it would cost....." If you are going for a consult, why select a comfort number when in short order you will find out the ACTUAL cost of the treatment that you are looking for. "Well I thought that it should only cost $1,000 a tooth and I saw it on the internet."

What people need to know is what is the RANGE of the cost of treatment? Just so that you know, I sent my wife to THE BEST and THE MOST EXPENSIVE restorative dentist in the country 15-20 years ago...How expensive? FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS A TOOTH.

I was Censored on Facebook

Many years ago, Newt Gingrich, the House Speaker informed his wife that he was filing for divorce while she was in the hospital battling cancer....

No matter which political party you supported, the American people did not respond favorably to the news of what Speaker Gingrich had done...And many referred to him by calling him the slimy layer that forms on a lake....

Facebook said that I violated Community Standards and I responded with an appeal stating that when we censor our history, we are becoming George Owell's 1984 novel in which all memories of the past are destroyed in the 'memory hole.'

I reposted  my original statement with Facebook's official complaint of my on my Homepage....and Facebook relented.....

As long as we do not commit slander or liable, we still have First Amendment protections...

Oh and did I remind you that ole Newt was fined $300,000 for an ethics violation... A true American.

Can We Trust Science?

It has been reported several weeks ago that some of the most prominent and important researchers at the renown cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering were released by the institution for making millions of dollars from drug companies without the proper reporting. Conflicts of interest are unfortunately common and dangerous.

How do we know what drugs to take when we become ill?

Can we rely on the recommendations of our doctor or are they 'on the take' from the drug companies?

When people steal, it is usually because they are not paid enough to do the job. Virtually every member of Congress is susceptible to being bought by companies because they have to maintain TWO HOMES by law and $179,000 in Washington DC is barely more than minimum wage. Researchers are usually salaried positions and they earn less than physicians in private practice.

Pay people or they will steal. Pay people or you and I may not recover from our illnesses.

Say It Ain't So, Joe

Government cannot save low level jobs even when they say that they will

BUSINESS

After 55 years, Trane is closing Lexington plant, laying off 600 hourly workers

Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article219500765.html#storylink=cpy

Believing What Is Not True.

Aspirin a day saves lives in older folks....No it doesn't. Not if you are a healthy older person

Statins save lives....99,999 people have to take a statin for one person's life to be saved

 “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” to Mahatma Gandhi. No Mahatma Gandhi never said this. This is one of the top 10 misattributed quotes of all time...

In the year 2018 we still BELIEVE what we want to believe because SOMEONE told us.

The overwhelming majority of young dentists BELIEVE that bonded resin to fix back teeth is a terrible material... I don't care WHAT they believe...Their arrogance due to their ignorance is stunning. Don't you think that after using bonded resin for 25 YEARS...A QUARTER OF A CENTURY...that I would have discovered that resin is a terrible material....It is a WONDERFUL MATERIAL.

I saw many long time patients (20-38 years each) and you all have bonded resin in your back teeth...and you all have your own natural teeth...and you have very few crowns and virtually no implants...

So all of YOU know that bonded resin is a wonderful material...

The young dentists don't know because they never bothered to learn how to place a bonded resin and the #1 dental researcher in the country, Dr. Gordon Christensen agrees with me..Young dentists want to cut down your teeth for crowns because they can make more money..


Don't believe what is not true.

I Am Done With Facebook Dental Forums

Yup, I am done.No more participating in Facebook Dental Forums to help young dentists to learn.

Done............Finished



Why?


Because I have grown frustrated with the Arrogance with lack of knowledge.... A dentist with 3 or 4 years of experience cannot question my clinical success in dentistry based on THEIR success in dentistry. As a nationally recognized dentist in the area of direct posterior restorations, I probably have more experience and success than the majority of dentists in the country. I have 25 years of clinical success  and my patients have benefited immensely from placing bonded fillings instead of destroying teeth with crowns.

Young dentists say that resins don't 'work.' I show them clinical cases and they still say, 'they don't work.'

It was time to go and I did.

He Said That I Am Right

  Gordon Christensen is the premier evaluator of dental materials and techniques. I wrote him after he published an article in Dental Economics in which he said that the average direct  posterior restoration lasts 7 years and 42% of them have new decay around them. I told him that the material was not to blame but that the poor training of especially young dentists  is to blame. 

Of course he agrees with me and says that when direct posterior resins are done correctly, that they last DECADES.

September 25, 2018

Gerald C. Benjamin, DDS

18 Division Street

Suite 205

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

dr.benjamin@benjaminsmile.com

Dear Gerald:

Thanks for your comments on resin-based composites. Your comments are very correct. However, they relate primarily to the less than 6% of GP’s who use rubber dam. If using rubber dam, the extent of class II recurrent caries is low. I personally use rubber dam constantly.

The use of lights by most dentists is highly deficient, and I agree with your comments. Air abrading is also another way to improve class II’s. 

One aspect that relates to the observable, proven, and continuing failure of these restorations is the less than adequate techniques used by many dentists because of hasty techniques developed to increase revenues.

My thoughts on class II’s are shown in one of our videos. If you have interest, go to www.pccdental.com, under CE  Videos, and get the video, V3554 – Class II Composite Resins Can Be Predictable, Non-Sensitive, and Profitable.

Sincerely,

Gordon J. Christensen, DDS MSD PhD

Founder and CEO, Practical Clinical Courses

CEO, CR Foundation

GJC/kw

Difficult to Understand

As many know, I am a member of several Facebook Dental Forums including a Dental Investment Forum. Recently, I stated that I was 70 years old and still worked 5 days a week. A young dentist immediately criticized  me by asking:

"What did you do wrong as a younger dentist that requires you to work full time as a dentist?"

My response was:

"I love being a dentist and that is why I continue to work; It has nothing to do with making money."

Another young dentist then accusingly ask, " What is wrong with you that you like this terrible job?"


I ignored that question because I feel sorry for young dentists that do not love being a dentist. How sad.

Senator McCain

It does not matter whether you agreed with Senator McCain politically  to recognize what an honorable human being he was.

It was outrageous that Candidate  Trump stated that Senator McCain was not a war hero with little pushback from others. Sorry but the Senator was a war hero by any measure.

Senator McCain was guided by the same principles that guide me on a daily basis:


DO THE RIGHT THING!

Many do not appreciate how important Integrity, Ethics and Honesty are in our daily lives. Unfortunately many Americans are losing respect for these most important aspects of our lives.

I honor the Senator for always trying to do the right thing.

My Colleagues Know

On many of the website forums that I participate in, I am recognized as someone who respects and strives for excellence. A dentist posted the following:

I do cosmetic stuff as an occasional treat; not a regular diet, and dread the prospect of FMRs.  This one felt good.

Pretty 30 year old with a lot of bruxism and erosion damage, and broken centrals. She was in with the hygienist and they started talking about what could be donet  with veneers, and she was ready to go before I came into the room. Did a simulation in the computer to be sure of expectations, and she couldn't  wait to have it booked.  Would have liked to have done 4 teeth, but two was all she could manage at this point in her life.  The acid problem is under control and she readily accepted a nightguard to protect them, so  Hey Ho Let's Go.  Did a couple of EMax veneers and she's over the moon.  She knows they'll likely need replacement at some point, and hopefully will have the ability to do all four incisors as crowns, since the linguals have been pretty thinned out by erosion.

Crtitiques? Should I have tried composite, Benjamin-style, lacking his talent? 

Should they have been longer so as not to look so wide? Would you have held out until she could do more teeth?  (She was so thrilled on cementation she was talking about doing the little laterals someday when she could afford to).

I did fix the cervical caries first, BTW, and she asked for them a shade light because she's going to whiten a bit.

You don't have to read or understand what the dentist was describing but what was flattering and appreciated was the reference to me by my colleague. 

Every dentist that knows me recognizes that I try to do the MOST CONSERVATIVE treatment that I can to preserve a patient's natural tooth i.e. Not destroy a tooth with a crown  and that I value EXCELLENCE and INTEGRITY above everything else.

It should make YOU proud when other dentists refer to me as a standard of excellence.

This is What Happens When We Let The Insurance Company Control Our Lives

There was a recent story on CNN about a 30 year old woman with Stage 2B Ovarian Cancer. Five noted Harvard physicians recommended Proton Therapy for the patient. A physician who was NOT a specialist in this form of Cancer made the decision that Proton Therapy was not effective and would not be paid for by United Health Care. The patient's parents mortgaged their retirement money and paid the $95,000 for their daughter's care.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH US???????

Read the entire story here:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/15/health/cancer-survivor-insurance-denial-battle/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_source=fbCNN&utm_medium=social&utm_content=2018-08-18T10%3A30%3A03

So We Want Cheap Drugs?

CNN)Certain batches of hypothyroid medications are being recalled by Westminster Pharmaceuticals after one of its Chinese suppliers failed a US Food and Drug Administration inspection.

Foreign manufacturers will ALWAYS cheat when it comes to manufacturing and money. That is their competitive advantage. Do I believe that American made drugs should be so expensive? Of course not but at least they are pure.
Read it for yourself.


https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/15/health/thyroid-medication-recall/index.html

Happiness vs Meaning

There was a great TED TALK that someone posted on Facebook that I think that you might find interesting. The author and lecturer Emily Smith gave the presentation located by following this link:

http://bit.ly/2I7gC2S

Emily says that happiness is momentary and that only by having meaning in our lives will we truly be happy. She says that there are four pillars of meaning:

1. Belonging with others
2. Purpose (to serve others)
3. Transcendence (Feeling connected to hyper reality)
4. Storytelling or how we present the story of our life to others.

I think that you will truly enjoy this THREE MINUTE presentation.

Let Me Say It Again

I cannot say this often enough:

I AM NOT RETIRING!!!!!!!!

Tricia says that the reason we are not attracting a lot of new patients is because people think that I am old and will be retiring soon and why would anyone start with a new dentist that will be leaving..

I will be taking care of tens of thousands of teeth before my retirement. AND I can make sure that patient's mouths will do well for the next 15-20 years after I am gone so that they won't have to worry about problems.

I am STILL doing my best work today AND my colleagues around the globe can attest to that.

Something to think about.

Hats Off Night? Not in 2018

For the first time in 20 years, the City of Saratoga did not host a Celebration (called Hats Off) for the opening of Saratoga Race Track.

In my opinion this is poor planning on the part of our local government. I know that our Government  did not was not the prime mover in this event but the City of Saratoga should have pushed businesses to continue with the tradition of an opening Celebration.

Sad....

Another Farewell

I have been going to Pilates at the Reform Pilates Studio, located right next door to my office, for the majority of the time that I have been in Saratoga. Last week, the owner decided that the Studio was going to close at the end of the Summer.

Had I not taken Pilates twice a week, I probably would not still be working full time...It is THAT important.

Like my office, Reform's reputation was that it was excellent but expensive. As you can imagine, I adamantly DISAGREE with part of that assessment. Both Reform Pilates Studio and my office always aimed for excellence and in today's business environment, that is truly exceptional.

With regards to dentistry, making large sums of money is dependent on cutting down lots of healthy tooth structure for crowns. What is NOT healthy for teeth: cutting them down for crowns and the use of crowns must be limited especially in young people. I have NEVER destroyed your teeth for my personal gain....NEVER.

For Reform Studio, having a beautiful environment to strengthen our bodies was important. It is very hard to provide excellence in a place that is old, run down and moldy.

If folks think paying to stay healthy with Pilates is expensive then they should try paying for illness which is tens of thousands of dollars more costly....

Many Americans no longer feel that excellence is important and/or worth paying for.
I emphatically disagree and when excellence ceases to exist, folks will find out how TRULY expensive mediocrity is.

PS: We have had one of the slowest months (June) in more than a decade so I fully understand
Reform Pilates Studios situation.

80 years and Farewell

Bill and Lee started in my practice around 1980. Each has been an exceptional patient in that they always accepted my recommendations. Bill is moving to the Northwest and Lee, now in his mid 70s has decided that traveling from Albany is too much of a challenge for him at this stage of his life.

I am so honored to have taken care of both of these patients the past 4 decades.

I have always been saddened when a long-time patient passes away, moves away or can no longer make the journey to our office.

Thank you Bill and Lee; you have my deepest gratitude and appreciation for your loyalty.

I wish you both well.

What Things Should Look Like

This is what a perfect, beautiful strawberry should look like. Unfortunately, this is NOT the strawberry that we find in our super markets. So what do we do? We buy it because we lower our standards and buy the strawberries even though they are half ripe.

This is what beautiful direct bonded fillings look like. Unfortunately, 90+% do not look like this nor do they last the approximately 20+ years that these fillings will last. Why? Because the overwhelming majority of Americans believe that a dentist is a dentist and a filling is a filling... Show me your fillings and I will show me mine. Yes quality costs more but you will save your tooth for your entire life and perhaps you will avoid a tooth destroying crown.

What Do Other Dentists Think About MY Work?

The last THREE teeth on the left of the photo are examples of my DIRECT RESIN BONDED FILLINGS.

But you don't see anything?

That is the beauty of the technique that I use to do YOUR fillings. And this is why my work is lasting more than TWENTY YEARS. When most dentists are cutting down your teeth for crowns, I am buildup UP your teeth with strong, long lasting conservative Composite Resins.

So what do some of my colleagues that I know for 20 years think of these fillings when I posted them on my FACEBOOK page?

Excellent as usual

You are the master of direct (RESIN)

There are reasons that you have selected our office for your care. Excellence is one of them.

Young Dentists

I am still on several Facebook Dental Forum for what reason, I don't know.

I am what is described as a Fee For Service Office  (FFS) which means that I do not permit an insurance company to tell me and you what is best for you. The majority of dentists in the country do participate with insurance which in actual practice  means that they don't spend as much time with the patient, use cheaper materials and labs, don't use a rubber dam and run from room to room treating 2,3 or 4 patients at a time.

The best clinical dentists in the country tend to be FFS....with little exception.

Today a young dentist asked the question on the forum if the other dentists charge a patient if a crown comes off after two years.  The majority of young dentists blame the patient for 'SOMETHING' that they did to cause the crown to come off and charge the patient.

My stated opinion was that well done crowns DO NOT COME OFF regardless of what the patient does or does not do.

One young dentist said that, "You must be a FFS dentist who spends more time with their patients  (paraphrased) and you are one of the lucky dentists who can do that.)

Sorry, young dentists have to learn to be better clinical dentists and to treat their patients with dignity and respect. Well done crowns do not fall off...Period.

The young dentist has perhaps 5-8 years of experience and he has the audacity to challenge  a well regarded clinician with 40 years of experience who is still working 5 days a week i.e. not a relic. lol.

Where does a young dentist get off offering an opinion to challenge an expert in the field. After all, the only thing that I do is fix teeth and restore implants.

PS I will be teaching senior dental students at SUNY/Buffalo in the Fall...

The Apprentice (Not Political)

This is the lead story at 10:48 on CNN Website:

Justice Dept. says it's lost track of some parents

Isn't it time that someone gets fired???

Stupity and Rudeness

Friday night in July in Saratoga is usually mobbed and trying to go to a restaurant between 7 and 8 pm if you don't have reservations is next to hopeless.

We were at one of our favorite restaurants tonight and 8 people walked in without reservations and asked for a large table to seat 8. The restaurant seats about 65 people and a table for 8 does not exist without reservations. The owner, very kindly informed the people that they could have 2 tables for 4 and they became ENRAGED. One elderly man used the F word to express himself in conversing with the owner. To his credit, the owner requested that the 8 people remove themselves from the restaurant.

America is in big trouble and it is because people think that it is acceptable to be rude and nasty EVEN when THEY make a mistake.

Will we survive?

Don't Trust Online Reviews

You  know that I am not a fan of online reviews. If one looks at the folks that gave ME a negative review and you look a little deeper, you will find that those individuals complain about EVERYTHING; nothing is ever good enough.

There is an interesting article in a recent edition of the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/13/smarter-living/trust-negative-product-reviews.html

I would like to suggest that you read the article why negative reviews are often inaccurate and 'suspicious.'

The most common negative review of me is that I am too expensive and mainly because I do not participate with insurance companies that do not want me to practice excellence. "Of course we want you to practice excellence and we will pay you $30."

Ask my patients who have had my work in their mouth for 25, 30 or 35 years whether they think my work is expensive. Dentistry is not expensive UNLESS you have to replace it every few years.

There is a reason that the old saying, "You get what you pay for" has been around for a HUNDRED YEARS.

A Note From Our Guest

"I would like to thank Dr.Benjamin for giving me the opportunity to stay with him for a week in his office..
Dr.Benjamin is a great mentor to have, I was honored and lucky to meet him on a dental page on facebook..
I learned alot from him and I was really amazed by how he treated his very long time patients, how he planned his cases and exectued it with utmost care..

Dr.Benjamin is a world class master, excellence and high quality is what he provides for his patients..
I would also like to thank his friendly staff for making me feel one of them..
Thank you Dr.Benjamin for your hospitality and for treating me like family.."

It has always been our privilege to host young dentists and college graduates who want to attend dental school and are required to 'shadow' a dentist.

Young dentists need to see how to treat patients like gold and not just like an ATM machine to extract money. 

The Cruelty Stops (not political)

I have resisted blogging about the removal of children from their parents at the border and now that the policy has changed somewhat, I feel compelled to offer an opinion.

We all have our opinions and love to argue in the abstract because we have little to lose in the discussion. However, the removal of young children from their parents is barbaric and inhumane and this is what the Nazis did 80 years ago. Whatever your opinion is on securing the border and 'there are good people on both sides,' how we treat children is a different matter.

Taking children away from parents is too hard to watch and I am happy that the government agreed to change the policy.

Back to School

Last Friday, I received a text from an old friend, colleague and faculty member. He asked a personal favor that I return to SUNY/Buffalo School of Dentistry  (where I am a Clinical Associate Professor (visiting) to give lectures to the Senior dental students and recent graduates still at the University.

I have not been happy with our dental school for quite a while since they closed my Esthetic Center in '07 because the full time faculty liked the dentistry of the 1980s and we were taking them out of their comfort zone. The majority of Dental Schools still teach much of the same material that they taught me 45 years ago and as you can imagine, that material is irrelevant.

I will go back to the School in the Fall to try again to elevate the level of information that the students are given. If I can convince ONE member of the class to pursue excellence in dental care, I will consider my efforts worthwhile.

I have promised you that I will leave you in good hands when I no longer can do what I do for you; I too have a stake in finding a great dentist to take care of you.

The Economy

As most of my long time patients know, I have different relationship with my patients than most dentists. You and I know a lot about each other. I have many successful business people in my practice and I asked them, " How was your first quarter?"  To a person, everyone reported either flat or down slightly. That is exactly how our office was for the first 3 months of the year and it continues till today. This is why you saw some of my 'general dentistry' ads on TV and in HerLife Magazine.  We always want new day to day, general dentistry patients even though my reputation is as a 'cosmetic guy,' my day to day practice is to do 'regular dentistry' like fillings or crowns with the goal being excellence.

If you know people who are looking for a good dentist, kindly think of our office. A really good cosmetic dentist is a really good general dentist. That said, a good general dentist may not be a good cosmetic dentist.

Paying it Forward With a New Friend

I meet many young dentists online which is very similar to how people meet their spouses. About 6 weeks ago, I complimented a young dentist from Egypt on a case that he had the courage to post on a clinical forum. We chatted awhile and he mentioned that he will be traveling to New York City in a few weeks and would it be ok to visit my office?

Omar arrived last Sunday and left yesterday (Friday.) He met me at my office everyday at 7:20 AM and stayed 1-2 hours after our last patient left.  He was amazed at how we treated our patients and the quality of the work that we did, as are most of the young dentists who visit our office. It surprised him when I told him that the first three  patients on Tuesday had been my patients a combined total of more than 100 years and that they each had travelled more than 35 miles each way.

Omar was a delight to have in our office for the entire week. When a young dentist visits our office and we give him details of our patients, the treatment and the length of time that we have cared for them, it give US the opportunity to reflect on our office: What we have accomplished, what our mission is and who our patients are.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to take care of you and your family. It has been my life's work and a career that few can match.

Oh yes, Omar said the he never expected to be treated like family by strangers.. How else would we treat a guest?

For Donna-The Next Chapter

Donna, our secretary for the last 21+ years, became the first member of our office to retire. Donna has completely recovered from her recent illness and decided that it was time to move into the next chapter of her life. We thank her for a great job and wish her health and happiness as she enters the next phase of her life.

Medicine and Dentistry Are Different When Insurance is Involved

There is a great article on CNN.Com about  how Insurance treats Medicine and how it treats Dentistry. You can read it for yourself here:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/28/health/dental-insurance-partner/index.html

Some Background:

In 1961, dental insurance came in existence and the limit was ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. But....in 1961 $1,000 bought 8.3 crowns which was a heck of a lot of dentistry. By the time I became a dentist in 1977 the limit was still $1,000 but it only covered THREE CROWNS. Also when I began practicing dentistry in my first office at Tamarac Plaza in Cropseyville, NY, some of the insurance companies paid 92% of our fee.

Today, the limit is STILL $1,000 for the majority of insurance policies and $1,500 for the better policies.

How can YOU relate to this? It is like NOT HAVING A RAISE FOR 57 YEARS that you worked for the same company. Because people don't know and don't care, they blame the dentist for charging too much. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE unless you are looking at full mouth rehabilitation which is extremely expensive and takes lots of skill, talent and education for the dentist and tens of hours for the patient.

An example: If you have a knee replacement (an implant) , the total cost is ~$65,000 and your insurance probably pays ~$60,000. If you have a dental implant the cost for the entire treatment is about $6,000 and your insurance usually pays little to nothing. Why?

YOUR employer is cheap and refuses to pay more for dental insurance.

My average long time patient can go 10 years without having me fix a tooth. Their out of pocket payment for two cleanings some bite wing x-rays and an exam is probably ~$500 a year with no insurance and $150 a year with insurance.

I Was Pleasantly Surprised

I am on several Dental Facebook forums which are limited to dentists. I was stunned to open Facebook this morning and see:

I consider Gerald Benjamin one of my mentors even though I have never met him in person. Over the course of our interactions (some very heated) he challenged me to become a better dentist through high quality CE in a google group. While the transition from a PPO practice to an out of network practice focusing on high quality dentistry doesn’t happen overnight it can be a fairly fast transition due to the financial strains placed on quality dentists operating in the PPO environment. 

Here is a direct example of how high quality CE can reduce the total amount of dentistry that is needed in your patient population. Had I been contracted with insurance companies with this pattern of practice I would have gone out of business due to the low reimbursement rates. 

From July 1, 2016- April 30, 2017 I placed over 120 single unit crowns. From July 1,2017- April 30,2018 I placed less than 25 single unit crowns. I have seen the total amount of Crowns+root canal therapy needed in my practice drop by 75%. 

What was the difference? Understanding the fundamentals of dentin bonding which is the cornerstone of restorative dentistry.

What’s the point of this post? To understand the financial constraints of dental insurance will drive your treatment decisions whether you realize it or not. Human behavior is driven by ‘systems’. If the ‘system’ in which you operate doesn’t lend itself to high quality dentistry then CHANGE the system in which you operate.

I am honored to have changed Matthew Gillespie's life when I asked him to see his (dental) world differently.

Real World Cases with Rave Reviews

First and foremost, I a clinical dentist charged with taking care of my patients. Many times a  year, I will post my work on a few dental forums for several reasons:
1. To show other dentists the excellent clinical dentistry can be done in a private office setting (as opposed to a University based practice.)
2. To remain relevant in the profession so that I am considered a serious clinician.
3. To encourage other dentists to pursue excellence.
This is a case that I completed 2 years ago. This is the 'Before' photo as the patient presented to our office for Cosmetic Dentistry. The problems:
1. A gummy smile
2. Small teeth
3. Unattractive porcelain

This is the completed case. The gum tissue is perfectly healthy and the teeth are the correct size.

So what does one of the finest periodontist/orthodontist in the world say about my work?

"Well planned and well executed. Real world Cosmetic Dentistry performed at the highest levels....thanks for sharing my friend. regards Maurice "

Inspiring Others

I am on several FACEBOOK dental sites that are only open to dentists. We discuss, we argue, we educate and we learn. And as you know, I have been on internet dental forums for 20 years. My position is to ALWAYS advocate for EXCELLENCE. I have 7,000 hours of high level Continuing Education so that I can provide the best dentistry that I can for you, my patients. I want other dentists, especially young dentists, to do the same thing for their patients. Sadly, many dentists have very little PASSION for dentistry but that does not prevent me from trying to make their lives better.

This is what a young dentist wrote on one of the dentist only FACEBOOK GROUPS:

"Chris Young Gerald Benjamin I love your confidence. If even half of dentists thought like you then people would start to treat dentists with more respect and dentists would do better work. I hope to be like you one day, FFS (Fee for Service) and doing excellent dentistry that I’m proud to show my colleges and charge an appropriate fee for the amazing service I provide. I love your passion for dentistry! Most days I forget how much we change lives but today I had a patient come back to me and I let her come back and all she did was thank me. I’m not gonna lie, for a relatively new dentist it felt good and I want to feel this way all the time."

I responded to the post by saying, "I am honored by your comments."

Every dentist should strive for excellence. Every dentist should love what we do. And every dentist should learn to always put their patient's best interest above their own.

I know that I am asking a lot but I believe every word of it.

I Am Always Amazed

I have been fired by thousands if not tens of thousands of patients over the last 40 years. The vast majority of people leave our practice because I don't participate with their insurance.Similarly, the vast majority will leave our practice recognizing that we pursue excellence.

Someone messaged me on Facebook yesterday after I consulted with his daughter about a dental issue that she was having. Prior to the consult, I was not aware that she is a physician.

54AM

Thanks for helping our daughter yesterday. She mention that you may not remember us. Chris and I were one of your first patients when you started in Tamarac. I still have the original bridge you did for me in 1983 I think. Anyway thanks for fixing Erins issue, I told her you are the best.

Hi M,

Yes I remember you. I hope that I helped your daughter

Yes...in her words you were awesome. You practice medicine the same way that she does. Thanks again.

These people have not been my patient for more than 30 years but what they remember is that they considered me 'the best.'

If they STILL think that I am the best and that my work has lasted THIRTY FIVE YEARS, don't you wonder why they are no longer my patient?

In the last year a young lady came to my office with a dental problem and she told me that her grandfather who was still alive told her that the best dentist that he had ever been to was Dr. Benjamin...

I have never understood this......................

Our First Retirement

As some of you know, our long time secretary, Donna has announced her retirement. Donna will be the first employer in my 39 year career in the Capital District  that has ever retired. Donna had a tough last two years with her health which is why she has decided that she didn't want to work any more.

We thank Donna for the wonderful job that she did as our secretary...the first person that you talked to or met when you came to our office. We also thank her for her loyalty.

Please join our office in wishing Donna a long and healthy life in retirement.