Dental Nirvana: UB's School of Dental Medicine

By Lynn Roberson 

In the last calendar year, Madam X spent  $7,000 dollars on her teeth- two crowns, one implant, a filling or two.  That's with insurance and the discounts that her sympathetic dentist of 16 years offered.  For $7,000, Madame could travel around the world!

Madame put her exorbitant dental bills on a low interest medical charge card that she may pay off by the time she is 80.  Every month she gets her bill and grinds her teeth.  Since tooth grinding (bruxisim) is the cause of her dental woes, she constantly needs more dental work.  She's in a no-win situation, much like the doomed Sisyphus of mythic Greek hell.

With great interest, Madam read an article in the New York Times about dental vacations.  She learned that over 200,000 Americans traveled abroad in 2006 to combine low cost, high quality dentistry with a holiday frolic.  Imagine having a root canal in sunny Acapulco, or bridgework in Belle Époque Budapest.  What a concept!

Fate intervened before Madam X could wend her tooth-grinding way to an exotic dental destination.  She moved to Buffalo, NY.  A major molar filling broke immediately.  Heeding the words of her Florida dentist, "You get the best dental care at a dental college," she sought out the University at Buffalo.  What she found was a dental Nirvana on Main Street - UB's School of Dental Medicine.

Founded in 1892, the University at Buffalo's award winning School of Dental Medicine is one of the oldest of the nation's 55 dental colleges.  Each year, over 2,000 students from around the world vie for 90 Buffalo spots.  

The school boasts every specialty program known to mankind- pediatrics, orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, oral pathology and prosthetics.  Thus the University at Buffalo is eminently qualified to care for one's mouth from cradle to grave, treating toddlers and the aged with equal expertise. 

Madame X 's dental problems were approached in an initial screening session that involved a student dentist, two wise faculty specialists and panoramic x-rays.  The school's celadon green environs were clean and calm.  The atmosphere was friendly, knowledgeable and completely focused on patient care.  The wait was minimal.  The screening fee?  $48.00.

Madame X learned from one specialist that wearing a specially designed splint could arrest her nocturnal tooth grinding.  Not only would her tooth breaking decrease, but also the aching of her overworked jaw muscles.  "She's a real bruxer," the specialist pointed out.  "Look at the scalloped tongue, the teeth worn down to the dentin, the porcelain chipped off the crowns.  She wants to bite.  Make her a splint."  Previously, Madame X had considered her case hopeless.  Now she felt profound relief.   

After screening, the school assigns each patient their very own student, who, with teaching faculty, will create an individual plan of treatment.  "Your student will call you, you come in, and we'll take some more x-rays, give you a cleaning and confer on your plan," they said at the screenings close.  So cheered was Madame X that she drove across town to the new Burchfield -Penny Museum for a spot of dental tourism.  It wasn't Acapulco, but neither did it carry the cost of the trip.

Kameron, Madame X's personable student dentist, called her promptly and after a thorough examination, 19 individual x-rays, a careful cleaning and a scholarly collaboration, proposed a plan that included filling 12 of her ground-down teeth, a crown for her broken lower molar and a mouth splint.  The price for the entire course of treatment?  An estimated $1,091.00!

"Incredible! "  Madame X exclaimed.  "I won't be a dental pauper any more!  I can keep my teeth!  I love it here.  It's a dental spa!  This would have cost thousands of dollars in Florida.  Crowns are $1,500 there.  Yours are $360!"  Delightedly, Madame visited the nearby Albright-Knox upon exit;  she could afford it.

Dr. Jude Fabiano, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, says that Madame X's experience is exactly what the school is all about.  "We are committed to offering the best dental care available.  And, we welcome everyone to the School.  Our care is comprehensive." 

A professor at UB School of Dental Medicine since 1978, Dr. Fabiano is quietly proud of the school's top-notch students and cutting edge research programs.  "Our commitment to patient care and to education has made us the busiest out patient clinic in New York," Dr. Fabiano says.  "In 2007, we served 11,422 patients in 48,899 visits.  We enjoy the space to handle volume, there's never the impression of a crowd here."  

Ongoing surveys indicate that patients are happy with the with the school's expert care.  "The biggest complaint we get is about the parking," Dr. Fabiano laughs.  "But we've added both regular and handicapped spaces this year, and it is free." 

As to the school's astoundingly low prices, Dr. Fabiano is modest.  "Our fees are designed to be one third of the usual and customary prices charged in the Buffalo."  Insurance companies determine usual and customary rates by averaging what area dentists charge for a procedure.  Though patients with dental insurance must file their own claims, the school readily accepts Medicaid.

Dr. Fabiano agrees that for some out of towners, UB's Dental School may save them more than two-thirds of normal cost.  "Buffalo is a lower price area," he notes. "In some parts of the country, we are probably one-fourth or more of usual and customary rates." 

Indeed, according to Dr. Fabiano, some school patients drive for three or four hours, and many are from Canada.  It is possible for a family to arrange one day of screening for everyone, and to coordinate treatment appointments.

Since becoming a patient at UB's School, Madame X is happier than ever about moving to Buffalo.  She's found trustworthy, affordable help for her splintered choppers and hopes to halt her tooth grinding.  As an added bonus, she can conveniently visit museums, art galleries, parks, and even Niagara Falls in tandem with her appointments. 

Frankly, Madame X wonders why UB's School of Dental Medicine isn't listed on the Internet as one of those exotic dental destinations.  It feels like one to her.

University at Buffalo

The State University of New York School of Dental Medicine

Squire Hall

3435 Main Street

Buffalo, NY 14214

716.829.2732