I visited Kafko, Kaminsky, and Kaufman recently for the first time. I was recommended to go by a friend. She had visited them and really liked them. I have had a host of dental woes throughout my life, so I take my choice in dentist very seriously. I didn’t want to trust just any old man off the street with my teeth. So I asked around, and my friend told me how nice everyone was. I tend to be overly sensitive at the dentist (read: I cry when they tell me I need a cavity filled), so once I heard they were kind, I was sold.
I was also comforted by their Polish sounding names. I’m Polish myself, and I’ve never known Eastern Europeans to be anything less than extremely competent at anything. So I scheduled an appointment with them for 8am one morning before work. I went in expecting a cleaning, and I left with a diagnosis of needing 4 crowns, possibly 2 veneers if I wanted all my front teeth to match perfectly (obviously I would!), and teeth whitening from Dr. Kaminsky. Additionally the periodontist (Dr. Kaufman) came in and diagnosed me with advanced gum recession and recommended 3 gum grafts to fix the problem along with a mouth guard, since apparently I grind my teeth. But no cavities! WOO! Even after maxing out my insurance benefits for the year, this would cost me hundreds of dollars out of pocket.
Let’s just say that crying would be putting my reaction mildly. I was devastated. Not only do I hate having dental work done with every fiber of my being, I find it terrifying. However, after leaving I became skeptical of their diagnosis. I mean I have been to two separate endodontists, an oral surgeon, and a dentist/periodontist in my time, and none of them have ever recommended such aggressive treatment. Additionally, the suggestion of the mouth guard made me suspicious since I am notorious for sleeping with my mouth open, which I am pretty sure is the opposite of grinding your teeth, and I already have retainers from when I had braces that have not been damaged by my "teeth grinding."
So, I sought a second opinion, and spoke with a trusted family dentist. This dentist did not come to the same conclusions. He has taken care of my teeth my whole life, and is aware of all the root canals, and tooth trauma I have had. He said the gum treatment was the only thing that he could see I possibly needed and that was not emergent. He also said that the crowns were completely unnecessary unless the teeth in question were really bothering me (they are not). Then I visited another dentist in NYC for a hands-on examination and viewing of my most recent x-rays. She too came to the conclusion that crowns were completely unnecessary at the present time. She said that in the future she would most likely recommend a tooth implant rather than a crown if the teeth begin to degenerate.
Then I consulted with my friend who recommended Kafko, Kaminsky, and Kaufman to me. She told me that when she went, Dr. Kaminsky said she needed 8 fillings (which she had), and a root canal (which she also had). Then by a strange coincidence, once her insurance was maxed out for the year at her next check up there was nothing wrong.
I will not be having any dental work done there any time in the near future.
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