This is What I Believe

Our practice has been dedicated to our patient's care since day 1. We do the best dentistry that we can without regard to maximizing income.

Their Time, Their Fight

My generation marched and fought for Civil Rights, against the Vietnam War and Apartheid in South Africa. There have been other other protests but most of the energy disappears with time.

The murders of 17 people in Parkland High School has energized our children like no other issues during the last 40 years. They are asking for change and have promised to use the ballot box to get the change that they are asking for. Will they succeed?

Their time their fight.

30 Years of Loyalty

I received a call from the mother of my patient who told us that her daughter was hit in the mouth and had two teeth knocked out while exercising in the gym at college. It was not exactly that bad and the photos that I received showed that the two front teeth had been fractured in the accident.

"What should my daughter do? Should she come home to see you?"

"Yes, I will see her when she gets back to Saratoga in 2 hours."

I had worked 10 hours yesterday and the youngster would not be here for another 2 hours.

Fortunately, she arrived at about 7:45  PM and I had repaired her two from teeth back to their original appearance by 9:20 PM.

Why would I do this instead of seeing the young lady this morning when I had an assistant?

Because her father has been my patient for over 30YEARS and I owe him to help him or his family when they are in need.

Try that at Aspen or any of the Corporate Dental Offices. Or any of the cut rate dental offices in our area... See you tomorrow during regular office hours...

And people say that a dentist is a dentist.

Not a chance.

Incomprehensible (Not Political)

What kind of a married man has unprotected sex with a sex worker and then goes home to their wife?
Sorry, I don't care HOW much money you have  or what your business is....You are a inconsiderate fool.

HATERS

A resolution denouncing neo-Nazis dies in 36 seconds  in State of Tennessee. 

This appeared on CNN.com

I had a history Professor, C.K. Yearly at SUNY/Buffalo who stated that the United States was two and maybe three countries. As a naive 21 year old, I scoffed at his remarks. Nearly 50 years later, I think that I agree with him.

Confirmation

In my previous blog, I told you about a young dentist that does not posses the knowledge, skill, talent or experience to KNOW that he doesn't know and yet he spoke with absolute certainty that he was correct about his offered opinion....He wasn't.  My mentor used to say:

 "Arrogance is confidence without competence."

Another young dentist who "reluctantly" changed his opinion after many months of chatting with me about the tremendous value of resin as a restorative material has now become a disciple of treating teeth the same way that I have been doing for more than 2 DECADES. That is, I do not destroy your teeth with a crown in order to 'save' it. Yes, I could been an extremely wealthy individual if making a lot of money was my goal. As you know, I will not hurt a patient to increase my wealth. This is how the young dentist responded to the unconsciously unknowing dentist who criticized me:

Matthew Kyle I am not one to force my pattern of practice on anyone else, but I also try not to discount a dentist, like Gerald Benjamin, who has had countless cases that are successful at 20+ years. 

Maybe we could all learn from those who have pioneered the field of adhesive dentistry.

I just listened to Ray Bertolotti, the father of American adhesive dentistry, speak and he said in front of everyone he doesn't see a single indication for a new crown with the only exception being to replace a previously completed crown. He also has cases that are 30+ year successes.

Manage

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 · Reply · 40m

Gerald Benjamin Matthew Thanks for your kind words. Drs. Bertilotti and Kanca are among the true rockstars of restorative dentistry; Bertilotti's statement is mind boggling even though I have been practicing a conservative approach to restorative dentistry for more than 2 decades. Because the faculty of many dental schools are clinically mediocre they too denigrate composite. Below is a TEN YEAR OLD direct bonded veneer case just to show some people that resin done right is an amazing material. Maybe Kyle will believe his own eyes.Manage

When Young People Don't Know That They Don't Know

As you know, I have been a dentist for 40 years and enjoy a significant amount of respect among many of my colleagues, especially those that practice dentistry at a very high level. You also know that I firmly believe that dentists should not be cutting down teeth for crowns in patients that are 20,30 or 40  years old because those teeth will not survive to old age.  Why are so many crowns done? Because many dentists were taught that resins (bonded white fillings) do not last. And they are right when they are not done correctly which means using a rubber dam. There is an old saying: If it has been done before, it is probably possible.This is the exchange that I had with a well intentioned but uninformed dentist:

Kyle  Should have been crowned. A huge bonded restoration won't last. Zirconia and done for the next 30 years

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 · Reply · 1h

Gerald Benjamin Kyle, You have no idea what you are talking about. A huge bonded resin done correctly i.e. with rubber dam, caries removal, air abrasion of all surfaces, beveled cavo surface margins will last more than two decades. I do HUNDREDS of implant supported crowns in a year but only 1-2 on my long time patients of 25-38 years. WHY? Because I virtually never place a crown on a vital tooth for a 20,30 or 40 year old patient. If you crown a tooth at age 20 that tooth will not survive until 60. Implants are usually the result of dentistry's failures i.e. failed endo, recurrent caries under crowns. A crown totally destroys a tooth while a bonded resin conserves a tooth. Kyle, you can believe what you want but that does not mean that it is true.Manage

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 · Reply · 36m

Kyle Actually I do know what I am talking about because I see large restorations fail everyday and I crown them. If you want to believe your "magic" approach to filling teeth with huge fillings works more power to you. Zirconia is 20 times stronger than that huge thing in there and will outlast any composite restoration. The problem is you've been doing this so long its warped your perception of the reality of what happens everyday.

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 · Reply · 29m

Gerald Benjamin Kyle  No you just rarely have the opportunity to see fabulous restorative dentistry. The reality is that there is no defense for crappy  dentistry but you should learn to recognize excellence when you see it. The destruction of teeth for profit is unconscionable..and it is done everyday. You probably have not seen composites placed under a rubber dam since you left school.

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 · Reply · 26m

Gerald Benjamin I can show you cases all night long...And you can't show me ONE zirconia crown that has lasted even 20 years because it doesn't exist. I did one of the earliest zirconia crowns in the country when they first arrived...nothing special especially when compared with a bonded Emax restoration which never debond.Manage

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 · Reply · 22m

Kyle Good luck to you. Honestly I have better things to do than argue dentistry with someone who thinks he's right despite the way thousands of dentists do it everyday. But hey you are right and been right for 30 years. Congrats!

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 · Reply · 4m

The reality is that a dentist who lacks experience and knowledge is trying to convince a dentist who has been successfully placing posterior resins for a quarter of a century that what I am doing does not work.

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