What made you say, “I want to be a dentist”?
I was always very good with my hands, very involved with electronics and even car repair and I’ve always been a critical thinker. I was a biology major in college. One day it hit me that dentistry was the perfect combination of all those skills, and so I applied to New York University College of Dentistry, they accepted me and so began the saga of my career.
Where did you begin your career and how did you find yourself in Fairfield?
My career started right after I finished my general practice residency at Bellevue Hospital. I was lucky enough to be hired into three private practices in different areas of New York; Manhattan, Tuckahoe, and Rockland County. Each of these offices had a distinct personality and being exposed to all three helped me decide how I envisioned my future solo practice. The Rockland office was a home office, and this really became a model for the next step in my career. One day, my father-in-law (of Fairfield, CT) and I took a ride through southern Connecticut looking for places to possibly buy/set-up my own practice. We found an available practice in an existing home office in Weston, Connecticut. I practiced in that home for 4 years, until our young family outgrew the home, and the practice outgrew the office. and we moved into a larger space in Westport where I spent 15 years, and finally settled in Fairfield for the past 17 years.
What services do you provide?
We provide nearly all aspects of dentistry from hygiene, periodontics, endodontics, denture construction, implant restorations, full mouth reconstruction, fillings, cosmetic bonding, veneers and all aspects of crown, bridges, and restorative dentistry. We also offer whitening and Invisalign. Perhaps of most importance, however, is the service that we provide to our patients who are suffering from dental emergencies. We will always make room in our schedule for any patient in distress, most always on the day that they call.
Describe your favorite moment from the past 40 years.
My favorite moment from the past 40 years is a personal one that took place this past summer. It was the marriage of our youngest daughter. It was a fantastic, uplifting experience that brought our family tremendous happiness and joy. It also served to remind me of why, in part, I’ve worked as hard as I have over the past 40 years… And I‘ll leave it there so you don’t see me cry (again).
When you first started out, were there procedures you were apprehensive about performing?
During my postgraduate residency at Bellevue, I received some tremendous training in all aspects of general dentistry in the hospital program, including a fantastic background in medicine. We had admitting privileges and I participated in grand rounds with the department of oral surgery. I was excited to do it all. The one procedure that I did stop doing early in my career was the surgical extraction of third molars (a.k.a. wisdom teeth).
What has been the biggest change you’ve witnessed within the dental world since you opened your practice?
The dental world has changed dramatically since I opened my practice, with the addition of digital dentistry. I got involved in scanning and digital dentistry almost 20 years ago. It was the computerization of all aspects of my profession, and it was amazing. It was becoming (and now is) a digital world. It’s digital x-rays, digital crowns, digital bridges, and digital record keeping. I can complete cases faster with high precision than ever before, just with the push of a button. Patients also appreciate the experience of “quick turnaround”.
What is the greatest challenge you have faced in your career?
Covid! Having to close my practice for a couple of months was very hard for everyone. It was a challenge to maintain my staff during that time, while still finding ways to treat patients with emergent care needs, while keeping myself, my staff, and our patients safe. Fortunately, dentists were already well prepared for working within the parameters of an epidemic safely. Ever since the HIV outbreak in 1982, the profession created, and has been using “universal precautions” with every patient, which includes wearing masks and gloves for every patient. While Covid and HIV are very different viruses, the precautions being taken are very similar. We are very happy to educate any patient who is interested in how we implement what are now called “standard precautions” to keep our patients and staff as safe as possible while visiting our office.
How do you balance your professional and personal life?
Back problems are the bane of the dentist, so I try to keep physically active. I participate in many outdoor activities. I’m passionate about tennis and golf. As a board member, and as the president of the Fairfield County Tennis League, it's one heck of a distraction that has kept me sane in a crazy world (and at times) a crazy profession. Not to mention, kept my neck and back reasonably out of harm’s way.
What sets you apart from the 100’s of dentists out there? (Besides your stunning personality)
I think what sets me apart is my length of experience, my variety of experiences, my diagnostic skills, my communication skills, and the dedication of my staff to provide the highest quality of service available to my patients.
We will always make room in our schedule for any patient in distress.