Pros:
* Dr. Butterman has decades of experience & does great work, gently & doesn't push patients for extra procedures they don't want or need. Staff is equally as professional & accommodating & don't pummel you with personal q's trying to put you at ease... for me, that tactic has the opposite effect, where I feel like I'm not only at the dentist about to be picked & prodded, but interrogated first... just say 'hello', do the work as efficiently & effectively & quietly as possible & let me leave, please.
* He will provide prescriptions for pills (about $15), so a patient can be sedated/sleeping during procedures. I'm so dental-phobic at this point, due to past experiences with inexperienced dentists, I even sweat through cleanings, so this is a must for me.
(Note: For new patients or someone looking for IV sedation, very few drs do it because it requires a nurse to remain the entire time to monitor vitals & of course, there's more chance of side effects with the patient, so they simply avoid it. I had to call 8 local dentists to find someone who did IV sedation & it cost $400+ for the nurse + several hundred more for the IV... forget it.
I was fine with the pills, which knocked me out cold & still requires staff to place a cuff on the arm to monitor blood pressure for the entire procedure & I'm not paying extra. Lastly, it does require that you visit once before sedation to have BP taken... so plan for 2 visits total... your exam, xrays & vitals, then the procedure/s.)
* Plenty of parking & they even let me leave my car overnight, as I live 100-mi away & had to have a local friend pick me up & bring me to a nearby hotel, then back the next morning to retrieve my car for the long drive home. As a further note, you cannot leave in an Uber or cab, since they won't send you away with a stranger, if you've been sedated... that's normal for every dentist.
* If you need crowns, he makes them in-house, same day. Again, for those dental phobic or whose schedules won't allow multiple appts, this is a huge bonus.
* High tech office means it doesn't take 20+ min for 15-30 xrays. You stand with a 'bite' on the front teeth & a machine circles your head & takes all the xrays you'll need in less than 20-seconds. I did need 2 extra xrays when in the chair, but that's due to needing all my work on multiple teeth/crowns on multiple molars on 3 quadrants.
Cons:
* The only real con? Cost. He's at least 25-30% higher than every other dentist I've visited. I used to live in SoCal, Boston & NYC & his fees are on par with those costs.
* It did take wks in-between appts. He only does surgery at 8am, so those morning slots fill up quickly, it seems. I was initially scheduled 3-wks out, then bumped up to 2-wks after a cancellation. Maybe not a big deal to others, but being dental phobic, I want to get the grueling procedures over with immediately, if not sooner, so waiting 2-wks meant it was on my mind, daily. :(
I generally go to any dentist for a cleaning (especially as I travel & move a lot), when I get a flyer for a $59 exam/cleaning/xrays, but I've found they do a non-thorough, cursory cleaning... & I'm someone who takes OCD care of my teeth, so they've never been in terrible shape or needed deep cleaning. I've had cleanings where I've left & felt I needed another, no kidding. They also ambush me with a long list of procedures I "need", sometimes things I'd already had done recently... so these ploys & gimmicks (lies, essentially) are only to bring you in to pickpocket you. So, I'm done with the carnival barkers who promise thorough work for an extremely discounted fee... it doesn't happen.
His cleaning is $114 + extra for an exam & xrays (I don't remember the breakdown, cuz I recently had $5K in work... several hundred to be sure in total), but I think in the future, I'll be seeing his hygienist for cleanings, because my teeth feel brand new when I leave.
Additionally: I've seen Butterman twice on referral from a friend... once in 2014 & 2019, both times for crowns, fillings & cleanings under sedation. The 1st time I lived 3-mi away, but he was so good & I was so nervous going to anyone else, even though I'm 100-mi away, I returned in Jan for work. I knew it would cost 4-mos rent (& about $1,500 less if going locally), but at least I had peace of mind knowing I'd receive good work & care.
I list prices as I'm self-pay... hopefully, if/when I need work again, I'll have dental insurance. I don't know how much of his costs are covered by your dental plan, but if you call, they're very patient & helpful & knowledgeable. You won't be unhappy with the work, but depending upon your financial status, the costs may sting.
5* out of 5. The best dentist I've seen. read more
