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I consulted with a mother and her 15 year old daughter last week and I realized that I needed to speak with the young girl's orthodontist. I emailed him my concerns as well as sending him some photographs of his patient. After playing phone tag we finally connected and the young orthodontist thanked me for contacting him. " You are the first dentist to call me and I agree with your concerns. I will make it better."
Houston, we have a problem, as the saying goes.
Why aren't other dentists calling specialists?
There are only two reasons:
They don't know or they don't care.
I am in contact with the specialists that you are referred to on a daily basis. WHY?
Because people I do know and I do care.
That is what you expect from me and that is what you deserve.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Is This What We Have Become?
There is a law of physics which says that two things cannot occupy the same place at the same time.
I was at the airport yesterday on my way to Chicago to take a course and I overheard a young couple trying to get a flight to Florida. The man refused to accept that the airline had no...NO...seats beep cause of the backup due to the snowstorm. The conversation lasted 45 minutes but the man refused to accept "no" for an answer..
This evening, I went to PF Chang for dinner. I ordered a glass of red wine and my dinner. The waitress returned after 5 minutes to apologize for the wine delay; I was reading The NY Times online and not paying any attention to the time that I had waited for my drink. Five minutes later, the same waitress returned and told me that because of the delay in bringing the wine that management would not charge me for the drink. WHAT??
It is Thursday evening,peak dinner hour,in a major city, and I was only waiting 10 minutes for my drink...It is physics ....two people cannot get their drinks at the same time.
Have Americans become so unreasonable and so thoughtless that we yell at the airlines and EXPECT something for free when there is no one to blame? Life is not a zero sum game. We all have to "win."
There was a delay in bringing me my wine; they apologized. I drank the wine. I NEED to pay for the wine and nicely demanded that the cost of the wine be placed back onto my bill.
Will we ever get back our reason reasonabilty??
I was at the airport yesterday on my way to Chicago to take a course and I overheard a young couple trying to get a flight to Florida. The man refused to accept that the airline had no...NO...seats beep cause of the backup due to the snowstorm. The conversation lasted 45 minutes but the man refused to accept "no" for an answer..
This evening, I went to PF Chang for dinner. I ordered a glass of red wine and my dinner. The waitress returned after 5 minutes to apologize for the wine delay; I was reading The NY Times online and not paying any attention to the time that I had waited for my drink. Five minutes later, the same waitress returned and told me that because of the delay in bringing the wine that management would not charge me for the drink. WHAT??
It is Thursday evening,peak dinner hour,in a major city, and I was only waiting 10 minutes for my drink...It is physics ....two people cannot get their drinks at the same time.
Have Americans become so unreasonable and so thoughtless that we yell at the airlines and EXPECT something for free when there is no one to blame? Life is not a zero sum game. We all have to "win."
There was a delay in bringing me my wine; they apologized. I drank the wine. I NEED to pay for the wine and nicely demanded that the cost of the wine be placed back onto my bill.
Will we ever get back our reason reasonabilty??
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Transitioning
As I have told you over and over...I am not going anywhere soon.
Retiring is NOT about me but it is about YOU...the most loyal and best patients in the world.
I am talking to experienced younger dentists to see if they will be the right fit for YOU.
My criteria:
Honesty
Integrity
Have the ability to put YOUR best interest above their own
Be highly educated
Limit their practice to restorative dentistry i.e. fixing teeth and restoring implants like I do. And refer you to specialists for root canals, extractions, implants, orthodontics etc.
Have superior talent in their ability to fix teeth.
A dentist asked me if I didn't think that this would be a 'long transition?'
Absolutely not! You and I must PLAN for how you will be taken care of whether it is 3 years or 5 years from now. If another dentist joins me, YOU and I will decide if that is a good fit. You and I KNOW how you have been treated these last 38 or so years and and that is what WE want to continue.
Don't worry...As always, I will put YOUR best interest above my own.
I owe it to you to see that you will ALWAYS be well taken care of.
Don't worry....I am not going anywhere.
Retiring is NOT about me but it is about YOU...the most loyal and best patients in the world.
I am talking to experienced younger dentists to see if they will be the right fit for YOU.
My criteria:
Honesty
Integrity
Have the ability to put YOUR best interest above their own
Be highly educated
Limit their practice to restorative dentistry i.e. fixing teeth and restoring implants like I do. And refer you to specialists for root canals, extractions, implants, orthodontics etc.
Have superior talent in their ability to fix teeth.
A dentist asked me if I didn't think that this would be a 'long transition?'
Absolutely not! You and I must PLAN for how you will be taken care of whether it is 3 years or 5 years from now. If another dentist joins me, YOU and I will decide if that is a good fit. You and I KNOW how you have been treated these last 38 or so years and and that is what WE want to continue.
Don't worry...As always, I will put YOUR best interest above my own.
I owe it to you to see that you will ALWAYS be well taken care of.
Don't worry....I am not going anywhere.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Let's Be Honest (Not Political)
I think that all of my blog readers KNOW that I rarely, if ever, discuss politics on this blog. I might discuss a political situation or what a politician says but I do not take political positions on this blog.
This past week "someone" said:
This past week "someone" said:
Jeff Sessions is an honest man. ”Sessions did not make
any misleading statements under oath during his confirmation hearings,
but he could have been more accurate in his responses to lawmakers.
To me, this is someone making an excuse for lying. If your children did not give you THE COMPLETE TRUTH, what would you be thinking? A lie is half a truth.
We can excuse someone for ineptitude or because they did not have the talent or skill to complete an assigned task.
Politicians who lie to other politicians are also lying to the American people and when you do that, you should lose your job.
As you have seen me write before, "When we lower our standards, everything becomes acceptable."
Sorry, I cannot accept an employee who lies or anyone that works for me...including politicians. I am an old guy who remembers when we DID have standards. And STANDARDS ARE STANDARDS.
This is NOT a political standard or discussion but rather a discussion of right and wrong.
World Class Dentists Comment on My Case
This is a case that I completed 21 months ago so that a young man could feel comfortable about being himself. His smile (teeth) would be expected in a 10 or 12 year old but not in a 16 or 18 year old.
My colleagues on Dental XP, who are some of the best clinical dentists in the world, commented on this case. I hope that this will support your selection of our office to take care of you.
Please read their comments below the photos.
8 Comments
Gerald; Great case my friend. I have seen Dr. Goldstein do this many many times. I am sure he too is pleased with your post. Did you do or consider any crown lengthening prior to the bonding? regards Maurice
Hi Maurice;
All of my dentistry is personally rewarding...I love it.
I performed electrosurgery to gain additional bonding surface. I did a wax up and transferred it with a putty matrix.
This intermediary dentistry will ideally last until the patient is 21 and then we will extract C and D; F and G and place implants in 6 and 11 and cantilever the laterals. The deciduous molars will be extracted as well and implants placed.
Regards,
gerald
All of my dentistry is personally rewarding...I love it.
I performed electrosurgery to gain additional bonding surface. I did a wax up and transferred it with a putty matrix.
This intermediary dentistry will ideally last until the patient is 21 and then we will extract C and D; F and G and place implants in 6 and 11 and cantilever the laterals. The deciduous molars will be extracted as well and implants placed.
Regards,
gerald
Super planning....that young man is in great hands.
Beautiful result, Gerald, and very rewarding I am certain. Maurice is correct...some of my greatest pleasures have been accomplishing results like these for not only fee based patients but pro bono as well. In fact that is why I started "Tomorrow's Smiles" charity where volunteer dentists accept at least one patient to change his or her smile and the dentist's expenses for lab or materials is covered by the charity.
Hi Dr. Goldstein;
I will restore a high school student in your honor.
Let's do it!
Regards,
gerald
I will restore a high school student in your honor.
Let's do it!
Regards,
gerald
Gerald, if we take effort and have the knowledge, we see often happy patients. But if you are 16 and your teeth look like a small child teeth, then you come to Gerald - you LOVE him and dentistry and life...
Thank you for sharing and motivating us!
Snjezana
Thank you for sharing and motivating us!
Snjezana
Thanks Snjezana!!!!!
I have been a spiritual Dental XPer my entire career... The unrelenting pursuit of excellence. At almost 70 and after 40 years, I still practice 5 days a week and do all my own wax ups. I truly expect to be a better dentist next week than I was this week.
It is truly sad how the average clinician is so accepting of mediocrity.
US News and World Report named "Dentistry" one of the best jobs in America yet 70-80% of all dentists here hate being a dentist. Inexplicable.
Thank you for your kind words and consistent support for my work. You are a rock star of our profession!!!
I have been a spiritual Dental XPer my entire career... The unrelenting pursuit of excellence. At almost 70 and after 40 years, I still practice 5 days a week and do all my own wax ups. I truly expect to be a better dentist next week than I was this week.
It is truly sad how the average clinician is so accepting of mediocrity.
US News and World Report named "Dentistry" one of the best jobs in America yet 70-80% of all dentists here hate being a dentist. Inexplicable.
Thank you for your kind words and consistent support for my work. You are a rock star of our profession!!!
Gerald,
I shared your passionate words with my staff today and they said we need more guys like you that genuinely care! Bravo my friend -
The patients can feel your compassion also...
Cheers,
Richard
I shared your passionate words with my staff today and they said we need more guys like you that genuinely care! Bravo my friend -
The patients can feel your compassion also...
Cheers,
Richard
Thursday, March 2, 2017
A Story
About three years ago, a new patient called my office 3 days before the Memorial Day Weekend and stated that his girlfriend had been up all night with a terrible toothache. He pleaded with us to see her and we did. When I met her, she told me that she was truly petrified of going to the dentist and that she was in horrific pain.
Now you may not know this but it is really hard to get an appointment with a physician or a dentist before a holiday weekend. Our office does our very best to advocate for our patients with our team of specialists so that our patients do not have to suffer especially on a long holiday weekend. We were able to have our new patient seen immediately so that she could be put to sleep to have a hopeless tooth removed.
A short time later, my new patient was in our schedule to start as a new 'regular' patient which means that we do an exam and take a full mouth series of x-rays. My patient needed to have many teeth filled and implants placed to replace her missing teeth.
My new patient was terrified of being hurt when she had fillings and I promised her that I would use some laughing gas and get her profoundly numb before I started treatment. After our first all afternoon appointment to replace her old fillings, my new patient became a believer that dentistry does not have to hurt.
Yesterday, I took impressions for the crowns on her four implants. When she came into my treatment room, I asked her if she was nervous or afraid. She replied, "No."
My patient is not very different than many dental patients who have had horrific experiences at the hands of a dentist. I will always do my best to make your dental visits as pleasant and pain free as I can.
My job is to take CARE OF YOU. I take this responsibility very seriously. I took an oath to do so.
Now you may not know this but it is really hard to get an appointment with a physician or a dentist before a holiday weekend. Our office does our very best to advocate for our patients with our team of specialists so that our patients do not have to suffer especially on a long holiday weekend. We were able to have our new patient seen immediately so that she could be put to sleep to have a hopeless tooth removed.
A short time later, my new patient was in our schedule to start as a new 'regular' patient which means that we do an exam and take a full mouth series of x-rays. My patient needed to have many teeth filled and implants placed to replace her missing teeth.
My new patient was terrified of being hurt when she had fillings and I promised her that I would use some laughing gas and get her profoundly numb before I started treatment. After our first all afternoon appointment to replace her old fillings, my new patient became a believer that dentistry does not have to hurt.
Yesterday, I took impressions for the crowns on her four implants. When she came into my treatment room, I asked her if she was nervous or afraid. She replied, "No."
My patient is not very different than many dental patients who have had horrific experiences at the hands of a dentist. I will always do my best to make your dental visits as pleasant and pain free as I can.
My job is to take CARE OF YOU. I take this responsibility very seriously. I took an oath to do so.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
"I Envy You"
A long-time patient was seen today on an emergency basis for a toothache. I referred him to Dr. Banchs for a root canal. My patient recently retired because of health reasons. On the way out he we were talking and he said, "I envy you because you love your job and most people don't."
I am, indeed most fortunate to have a job that I love. Growing up, my family existed pay check to pay check and complaining was useless because there were no options.Consequently, I learned to like things that most people hated because we didn't have the luxury to do something else.
I love fixing teeth
I am, indeed most fortunate to have a job that I love. Growing up, my family existed pay check to pay check and complaining was useless because there were no options.Consequently, I learned to like things that most people hated because we didn't have the luxury to do something else.
I love fixing teeth
Monday, February 6, 2017
115 Years
I had THREE patients in the office today at the same time and each of them became our patient in 1978-1979.
Each of them was in their late 70s or 80s.
Each of them had every tooth that they started with me 37 or 38 years ago.
And each of them has only a few crowns on their teeth.
I am very proud of my accomplishments in helping my patients keep their teeth for an entire lifetime.
I don't believe that the majority of dentists can make the same statements.
Each of them was in their late 70s or 80s.
Each of them had every tooth that they started with me 37 or 38 years ago.
And each of them has only a few crowns on their teeth.
I am very proud of my accomplishments in helping my patients keep their teeth for an entire lifetime.
I don't believe that the majority of dentists can make the same statements.
How is This Possible? (Not Political)
It is hard to believe that people who are down on their luck really believe that the President...Any President of either party...will bring back jobs...
Fracking killed coal...not government regulations. Fly over Texas where oil was king and you see wind mills and solar panels...Really????
Robots took manufacturing jobs not government regulation. Look at the new auto plants and you won't see many human beings doing the work.
We live in a different America today. I bet if you go to Kentucky, you won't see many people on Smart Phones.
High Honor
The Dental XP Forum is an international dental group comprised of some of the finest and most cutting edge clinicians in the world. I am honored to be part of this group and have posted many, many of my cases to this forum. My work has recognized around the world.
Today, I went to the Dental XP site and saw this:
Posted on 02.06.2017 06:05 PM By R. Terry Councill (Follow) In Occlusion
Today, I went to the Dental XP site and saw this:
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| Welcome Gerald Benjamin |
| Following 62 Posts · My Posts · My Account · Logout ·Contact Us |
Treating Severe Attrition - Help Gerald!!!!
Posted on 02.06.2017 06:05 PM By R. Terry Councill (Follow) In Occlusion
80 year old healthy male desires cosmetic dentistry.
It has been suggested that the interpupillary distance does not change. With that in mind, the measurement was taken. A ruler was then calibrated and transferred to the elder picture. DSD was done with this calibration. Will treat by redefining the incisor length, CR, and VD ala "Gerald Benjamin". Restore with anterior crown lengthening, posterio Zirconia and Empress layered Zirconia anteriorly. Post-op Tanner Applaince. Thoughts?
It has been suggested that the interpupillary distance does not change. With that in mind, the measurement was taken. A ruler was then calibrated and transferred to the elder picture. DSD was done with this calibration. Will treat by redefining the incisor length, CR, and VD ala "Gerald Benjamin". Restore with anterior crown lengthening, posterio Zirconia and Empress layered Zirconia anteriorly. Post-op Tanner Applaince. Thoughts?
Pre-op, DSD Workup
I am truly honored when other dentists either follow my clinical techniques, many of which I invented, or ask my opinion on how to treat their cases.
For most of my career, I was a little ole country dentist and marching to my own beat. Now your dentist has the recognition of dentists throughout the world.
It has never been about the money..always about the respect and trust of my patients, the recognition of my colleagues and my profession.
It has never been about the money..always about the respect and trust of my patients, the recognition of my colleagues and my profession.
(Aside: I won't tell them that the Dean as SUNY/Buffalo told me that I didn't have the skill set to be a dentist. Or that a dental school in NJ rejected me but also told me that I REALLY needed to consider another career.)
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