Ariel M., TRINITY, NY
1/23/2012

Very professional staff. My appointment was at 2pm and it started promptly on time. The hygienist was very diligent, explaining every step of the process. The rooms are clean and equiped with the latest technology in dental materials. The dentist visited once the hygienist completed her treatment and proceeded to do an oral check-up. He was very thorough and informative about any possible need for treatment or further visits. Excellent experience!

Yelp dental reviews NYC (filtered)

My review is colored by the fact that Dr. Dorfman and his team saved my smile and so much more. Dr. Dorfman took an active interest in my overall health, eventually introducing me to his own physician, who helped me lose weight and be the healthiest I’ve been in my adult life. The wait times are minimal, the staff is courteous and professional, and the work is carried out expertly and efficiently. But it’s the personal touch that makes this the place to go.

–Bridget G.

Yelp Review (filtered)
8/21/2011

Hi, I am currently an intern at Dr. Dorfman’s Center for Special Dentistry and I also wanted to add a few insights:

The intention is to offer patients extremely high-end dental care because he actually cares about it. All dentists & specialists in the office are encouraged to take as long as they need to perform dentistry as well as possible. Patients leave happy, well informed and with a new friend; he really cares about the patients and their dentistry.

You cannot work for what you don’t know exists. I never even considered that a world outside of insurance dentistry exists before I came to the office. It’s a hard thing to achieve, and you have to work really hard to make it work, but it opens up your options as a dentist. At the same time, Dr. Dorfman has been a pro bono professor at both Columbia and NYU dental schools for nearly 20 combined years; for over 12 years dental students were legally allowed to treat charity dental cases in the office for extremely low fees. A high school internship also exists in the office to mentor inner city kids.

I have learned a ton of dentistry and have made some potentially life long friends. I really recommend this program!

– P.C.

My first encounter with The Center for Special Dentistry was in February of 2009 when I interviewed for this elective program. Something fascinating I first noticed was the cleanliness and general organization of Dr. Dorfman’s premium private practice. It has five dental operatories that are well equipped with state of the art equipment including two flat screen monitors and computers which support Dentrix software, intra-oral and extra-oral cameras, modern dental chairs, fiberoptic light illuminated hand-pieces to enhance vision in work-field areas, etc. The software allows dentists to effectively enter and store patients’ information including treatments discussed and provided, digital x-rays, photos, and clinical notes.  Also present are central dental laboratories where impressions are poured up and stored, a central sterilization unit that uses an autoclave machine and a pre-wash machine for used instruments, a dining area, and an audio vision recording system.

The office is also equipped with well trained staff members who work together as a team for the delivery of premium dental health care. Different dental specialists compromising of orthodontists, periodontists, oral surgeons, and endodontists practice here on certain days of the week.  Dr. Dorfman, the Director of the Center for Special Dentistry, mainly focuses on Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry. This becomes necessary when there is need for a multidisciplinary approach in the rendering of health care services to patients who have such needs.

Patients
One interesting aspect I noticed about the practice is that a large portion of the patients have a phobia of dentistry. This may have been due to negative prior dental experiences or a pre-informed notion from individuals who have had poor experiences with their dental care in the past. It becomes necessary for the dental practitioner to accommodate all these challenges for the effective delivery of care.  I highly respect Dr. Dorfman for his flawless choice of words and his ability to condescend to varying personalities of the patients he sees on a daily basis. Simply put, I would refer to him as someone who gives excellent “Verbal Sedation.”

Furthermore, the manner in which new patients are welcomed warmly into the practice is another thing that amazes me. With the aid of a security camera, Dr. Dorfman is able to see every patient who enters the practice from his office. Regardless of what he was doing at the time, he stops his work and enters the waiting area to greet the patient in a friendly manner and may sometimes even make a good joke.  This is actually geared towards creating an enabling environment to receive premium dental care as well as calming the patients since most are phobic.

O.O., NYU College of Dentistry

The Center for Special Dentistry in NYC has created a successful unique model for healthcare delivery and education in mid-town Manhattan that is affiliated with both Columbia and NYU dental schools. It provides dental care for those who cannot afford it and trains students for the real world. The program has existed for over ten years and is financially viable. This model could be rolled out to a much larger population for both medicine and dentistry.

The Dental Faculty Practice at The Center for Special Dentistry serves two purposes: 1) To provide dental care for those who cannot afford it, and, 2) To train dental students in a real-world, premium private practice setting.

Top students from Columbia University and NYU dental schools are selected to treat patients of lesser economic means in our mid-town dental practice. Our practice is composed of twelve dentists and specialists who focus on super premium cosmetic reconstruction. It is the only private dental practice in New York State wherein dental students may treat patients for reduced fees with the patient’s informed consent. This dental work is supervised by our Faculty Dentists. Patients do have the option of being treated solely by Faculty Dentists at our regular premium fees. Sometimes more complex cases may be completed by both Faculty and students.

Patients treated by students may typically expect fee reductions starting at 40% off premium fees depending upon the procedure. The procedures available to be performed by students are limited at the discretion of the Faculty Dentists.

This program exists as a public service. It is not associated with any managed care program. This program offers the uninsured an attractive alternative in a quasi-academic environment. A financial dental plan, with prearranged monthly payments, may be available for pre-qualified patients. The number of patients and the type of cases accepted into this program are limited. Patients who do not qualify may be referred to a local New York dental school for treatment.

Our program could serve as a model to address fundamental flaws in American health care education and delivery. It is believed that health care education should be offered to interested students in high school and college and that these students should be on a health professions fast track towards their graduate degree. These students should be offered jobs during high school, college and medical/dental school in which they will be given increasing responsibilities in health care delivery to alleviate labor shortages and to help underserved populations. These students will impress upon their family, friends and neighbors the benefits of preventive health care. This work-study approach would also greatly reduce the debt many students face upon graduation from medical and dental school.

Interested readers may visit NYCdentist.com/faculty for more information.

Read the Wall Street Journal article.

Six third year dental students from NYU College of Dentistry were chosen today to study at The Center for Special Dentistry for the next 18 months.  These six students were chosen from an applicant pool of 50.  There were so many eager and talented students that we increased acceptances from four positions in last year’s group.  Students study super premium multi-specialty cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry at The Center for Special Dentistry.  The best of these students are considered for rejoining our practice after completion of their dental residency and/or specialty programs.

Thank you for the great kindness you have shown me this past year. It is always a pleasure to get my dentistry done in your office. Plus thank you to your staff, they are always courteous and professional.
K.H.

I went to the dentist for a significant cosmetic problem that I had been reluctant to fix for a long time because I was afraid.  Dr. Dorfman and his staff made me feel comfortable immediately and kept me comfortable throughout my treatment.  The dentistry with Dr. Dorfman and the other specialists in the office was completed more quickly than I had expected.  I love my new smile!
J.M.