Why We Don't Like Government (NOT POLITICAL)

I need to get a replacement Registration for my car at the DMV. I go online and find and complete the correct form and go to the DMV in Saratoga County this morning..Virtually empty....YES.

I go up to the check in desk and the lady says, "That's the wrong form!!!!!! That should have been changed online.... Fill out THIS FORM.

I sit down and complete the form and I answer the exact same questions on the new from with the exception of whether I had MODIFIED my vehicle (after the Limo deaths).

Government does not have a right to make mistakes that inconveniences the citizens. The DMV needed to ACCEPT the form that is currently online and THEN change the forms.

20+ years ago, I was returning from seeing my ill Father in NJ and when I went to get onto the New York State Thruway, there was a 2 hour, 10 mile backup to collect $.35. THIRTY FIVE CENTS!!!
I and others wrote Governor Pataki and told him that if he could not collect $.35 more efficiently then he had no right to inconvenience motorists. And so it was. The first toll on the Thruway was removed.

The person at the desk should have called her boss to call her boss and tell them to immediately change the form online...And she should have taken my completed form.
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Thomas Friedman, Journalist for the NY Times wrote of the escalator in Virginia being out for over 2 years and how the passengers just adapted...Nope, someone needed to be fired. Government controls everything and it does not have the right to make dumb mistakes.

But you can have a Caronavirus test anytime you want.................NOT.

Doing the Right Thing

The Golden Standard in Health Care is, "What would you do if this was your son, your wife or your mother?" It is THAT simple because there would never be money involved.


This is a case that I did several years ago in  which a 21 year old Skidmore male student came to my office requesting that I fix his chipped tooth. As you can see from the top photo, it is obvious where the existing resin filling ends because of the brown stain. Rule #1 in my office is to NEVER place a crown on a live tooth for a 20,30 or 40 year old patient. That said, MOST dentists would have placed a crown on this tooth EXCEPT if it was THEIR SON. I removed the old filling and bonded in a direct  layered resin restoration that to the average person, looks perfect.

Isn't this the way that you want ME to take care of YOU?  And take money out of the equation and just DO THE RIGHT THING?

It is distressing to see money dominate all aspects of health care instead of  doing the right treatment for the RIGHT reason.  Please tell your friends that they don't have to have their teeth cut down (and destroyed) for a crown most of the time. And if the do and they are under 50, they have a $6,000 implant and crown in their future.

The Call from the Coroner's office

I never wanted  any of my patients go missing and have to be identified by dental records. But as Mick Jagger says, "You can't always get what you want."

A relative of a patient called late last night and told me that someone had been found and that dental records were needed immediately. This morning I was contacted by the Coroner's office and I sent the requested information.

I received a text from the official this evening:

I just wanted to thank you, again for your care of your patients, always 24/7. I know how difficult it was to receive this phone call. You took such great care of XXX, your dental attention and treatment, superior. I wish you a Happy New Year, Never retire. I appreciate what I experienced today; a caring, appreciative, talented dentist who went into the profession to help people. You happened to also be greatly talented. You help a family have closure. Great appreciation for helping me today. XXX , DDS, Forensics

Doesn't make me happy...In fact, the opposite.

Don't Believe It

I constantly see an ad on TV for Mini- Implants. The dentist says that Mini-Implants are really good and are much cheaper.

Wrong and wrong.

Ask a surgeon who has to take out mini-implants due to infection. The mini implant does NOT integrate into the bone like regular implants. What does that mean? It means that the bone does not grow around and attach to the bone. And what does that mean? It is much easier to lose an implant. Do mini-implants have a place in dentistry? Sure in an 80 year old man who can't eat with his dentures....Go for it.

Putting Your Best Patient's Care First

This is the chart of a patient that has been under my care for FORTY YEARS. In all of that time, I repaired 6 teeth and not one of them is a crown despite the fact that in most dental offices , four of the teeth would have been suggested for crowns and yet my patient has none.
You might be thinking that  this long term patient is a one of a kind patient with fabulous teeth...And you would not be wrong. But I can show you many treatment charts where I have fixed 20 teeth for a patient and the patients have ALL OF THE TEETH that they started with me with only 1 or 2 crowns in 30 years.

How is this possible? Because I don't place many crowns on live teeth (no root canals) for patients who are 20,30 or 40 years old. Crowns must be delayed for as long as possible if a patient wants to keep all of their teeth for a lifetime. Sometime less is more.

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you have a wonderful day with your friends and family.

I hope that you notice that after every appointment I thank you for trusting our office to take care of you....and I sincerely mean it.

Not Accepting the Concept of Excellence

I consulted with a patient who had Invisilign Orthodontic Movement on her lower teeth but her orthodontist recommended that her upper teeth be treated restoratively with porcelain veneers. The orthodontist told her, "Go talk with Dr. Benjamin." The patient told her long time dentist that she was planning to see me and his response was, "Why do you need veneers and if you do want them,  I will do them for you. There is no special training for Cosmetic Dentistry so that I can do the work."

Some history:

 1.The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry was founded in 1984 and was started to establish rules of  Cosmetic Dentistry. The AACD offers Accreditation in Cosmetic Dentistry.

2.The State University of New York and the University of Minnesota Dental Schools both offered a Certificate of Proficiency in Esthetic Dentistry since 1998.

3.  95% of all Americans feel that you be a happier person and will do better in advancing your career if you have a beautiful smile.

I have been doing Cosmetic Dentistry for almost 30 years and, in fact, Won the AACD Smile Contest twenty years ago.

Only a mediocre clinician would say that you don't need any special training to do Cosmetic dentistry.

What do you think?

Richard Nixon ....NOT POLITICAL

I was alive and an adult during the Watergate Hearings. I have a BA in History and I knew the significance of the Hearings.

Today, some people like to talk about fake or biased news on CNN or FOX. Last night HBO had a special presentation (shown on CNN) , "Nixon on Nixon" in which ALL the audio that was heard was the voice of Richard Nixon and  his staff member...There was NO analysis or commentary...ZERO.. There was no fake news or bias... Just the words of  President Nixon.

And what did we hear about  and learn about Richard Nixon?

1. He hated Jews...He called them "kikes" and devious.
2. He hated Black people.
3. He did not believe that women should hold important positions in our government.

To hear the most powerful person in the world say hateful things was disheartening and sad.

You need to see this for yourself on CNN, HBO or perhaps YouTube.

Capital District Top Dentists....Again

As you might have seen in the October issue of Capital Living Magazine, I and all the members of my team have been selected “by our colleagues “ to be among the top dentists in the Capital District of NY. There are two significant problems with the selection. Obviously, I would rather be included on the list than not but the selection process is flawed/corrupt.
1. In past years I actually voted for dentists to be included BUT THIS YEAR I WAS NOT SENT A BALLOT.
2. There are many general dentists on the list that, I believe, are not deserving to be on anyone’s “Best Dentists List.” How and why do I say this?
         A . None of the dentists have thousands of hours of high quality CE.
         B.  None of the dentists have any special Certificates or Accreditation by a major dental
               organizations like the AACD or a University Program.
         C.  None of the dentists have posted their cases for their peer review or the public viewing.
         D.  None of the dentists present lectures to local , State, National or International meetings.
Why is this important?

Because the Public must TRUST lists that claim they have indeed selected THE BEST.

Capital Living Magazine must do better.
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I’m Back

Google has changed my Blogger.Com account and I have been unable to log in to create new posts. I have that cleared up and I will be blogging again.