Dr. Benveniste has my appreciation for incredibly well done periodontal surgery and has my highest recommendation.
I went to Dr. Benveniste because my regular dentist said I had a lot of bone loss and might need multiple extractions and implants. He added that there was a possibility the teeth might be saved by a periodontist, but not to count on it.
Gum surgery and related procedures are something that have been painful in years past and somewhat scary. Now that I have completed Gum surgery and bone replacement with Dr. Benveniste on all 4 quadrants of my mouth, I realize that the fear was totally unfounded (at least when done by him). He saved my teeth with little pain and put me on a good trajectory.
After the initial exam, he shared the results and carefully explained what he believed was needed to correct the problem and the likelihood of success, made a diagram so it was fully understood, and discussed the price. There were no surprises, everything was fully understood, and the price quoted was fair.
I really appreciated that patient comfort is a top concern for Dr. Benveniste. For me, the worst part of any dental procedure is when needles are stuck into the gums to administer the pain meds. Dr B has a device he uses before the needle -- it feels like air but it's not -- so that the gums are numb before the needles are used. He then checks every area to be sure it is fully numb and adjusts accordingly. There was almost no discomfort at any time during or after the surgery
Rather than do all 4 sections (or even 2) at one time, Dr. B spaced the surgical procedures into quadrants. That made a huge difference in post surgical pain (which was well controlled by extra strength Tylenol the day of surgery and none thereafter, with the exception of the final surgery when I took 1 prescription pain pill the night of the surgery and didn't need anything thereafter) and helped with eating. The appointment spacing took extra time and effort on his part, but sure made it a better surgery for me. He didn't rush things though in 1 appointment because he cared about patient comfort, healing and thoroughness of work. Dr. Benveniste clearly puts patient welfare before himself.
I saw one review that complained they they only received a prescription for 8 pain med pills and were unhappy about that. I take a contrary view. Too many doctors and dentists prescribe 30 or so narcotic pills when only a few might be needed. This is dangerous because all too many people become addicted when taking narcotics that really aren't needed (I am not suggesting that the person who write that review is an addict), and also discourages patients from being re-examined quickly to determine why there is unexpected pain. Dr. Benveniste, like other ethical professions, prescribes what should be adequate (he told me that pain levels are very different with each patient), and wants to examine the patient if there is a need for more prescription narcotics than initially prescribed. If there is continued pain, he wants to understand why and deal with it, not simply push out narcotic pain meds to mask any problem. As an aside, it was necessary to take an antibiotic for 5 days after each surgical procedure.
Dr. Benveniste was thorough, his staff (both administrative and dental assistant) were also friendly and professional, and the surgery was a complete success. Whether one agrees or not, they do have very strict Covid protocols. Masks are mandatory, there are the usual questions when you arrive, your temperature is taken, multiple seats in the waiting room are blocked so there is spacing, and patients wash their hands before being seated for the procedure (I haven't figured out why we need to wash hands before the procedure, but I did it anyway).
I never thought that I would be so totally pleased with a dentist, and especially not a periodontist, but Dr. Benveniste's skill, empathy and professionalism turned what could have been a nightmare into something that was relatively painless. He did an incredible job, and did not try to sell me products or extra work (as some dentists and doctors do) to increase the bottom line. He saved multiple teeth from having to be extracted and me going through expensive and uncomfortable implants and related surgery, removed infections that likely impacted my overall health, and restored my mouth and gums to good health. It took a lot of work and skill on the periodontists side, form a patient perspective it was surprisingly simple and easy to deal with.
I would not hesitate to strongly recommend that friends and family see Dr. Benveniste. He is honest, skilled, professional, friendly and much appreciated by me. read more
