Long review here, so strap on.
Ok. Here we go:
Six years ago on Thanksgiving Day I completely broke my two front teeth, and aside from the torture of watching family members engorge themselves on food I couldn't consume, I was writhing in pain. Coupled with the fact that I was unlucky enough to break my teeth on a holiday, there weren't any dental offices open, and I was forced to endure with my nerves completely exposed. Finally however, I was able to get ahold of a dentist who was a family friend. He had me come in the next day, and he performed two root canals, put two posts and eventually attached two crowns. He did an ok job, although my smile wasn't the same as before, and I wasn't too happy about the color of the final crowns (my surrounding teeth were slightly whiter).
About a year and a half later, one of my crowns came off its post. I returned to the same dentist, who just re-cemented it. About a year after that, it came off again, so I returned to him once more and he re-cemented it yet again. A year after that, well... you get the idea. The final straw, however, was a few months ago when the crown came off, but this time, with the post attached! In addition to all this, my gum above the crowns started becoming very dark relative to the light pink next to it. I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to see a cosmetic dentist who could not only fix the job and do it right, but also give me back the smile I had before I broke my teeth. No more wondering and waiting to see which meal my tooth would come off in, or if it was going to come out while I was kissing my girlfriend (how embarrassing that would be).
Not wanting to repeat past mistakes and fearing that I would end up with a another sub-par job, I did my homework this time and visited a few cosmetic dentists in the Bayside and Great Neck area, Dr. Bram being one of them. Quite frankly, all of them had nice offices, and all of them had the latest equipment, but hands down, Dr. Bram was the one that made me feel the most comfortable. I felt like there was a certain doctor-patient relationship (which was absent with the other doctors) that put me at ease- I didn't feel like another patient in his schedule, I felt like his friend. Dr. Bram also seemed extremely knowledgeable, and was very transparent with what he intended to do. In addition, he appeared to be exceedingly empathetic, and from what I could tell, honest, which was the last bit that really won me over... It seemed like he genuinely cared about my problem, and wanted to do what he could to help fix it.
When I returned for my first appointment, I remember the receptionist telling me that I "made a really great decision", and when he was done after the sixth appointment (yes sixth, because he takes his time to ensure that quality work is done, tailored for your specific dental needs through molding, adjusting, etc.), I realized why. Dr. Bram did a remarkable job on my two front teeth, and my smile came out great. Heck, if I had known my smile was going to come out this nice I just might have knocked my own teeth out on that thanksgiving day. In fact, because I live in the neighborhood, im going to start visiting his dental practice for general dentistry as well (cleanings, etc..).
All that being said though, this review wouldn't be complete if I didn't also mention Dr. Bram's assistant, Luisa, who helped him during all procedures. She had a very comforting aura about her as well. At every appointment she repeatedly checked to see if I was comfortable, or if I needed any chair/mouth-suction adjustments. Although I haven't had too much experience with dental assistants, it definitely seemed like she knew quite a bit more than the average dental assistant, maybe it's experience I don't know, but, I digress. Seeing how nervous I was in the beginning about having another botched job, she would also reassure me that everything was going to be ok, which I appreciated.
The rest of his office staff, especially Ellen, whom I dealt with when making appointments, were also delightful and very friendly.
Lastly (and on a bit of a side note), although I haven't tried it, I was quite surprised to find out that you can get Botox done here too (hence dental and facial wellness center)
If you're looking to get any kind of work done on your teeth, no matter how big or small, I don't think you can pick a better dentist than Gary Bram, or his dental expressions. read more
