For Referring Doctors
A prosthodontist on the Upper West Side for the cases you would rather not take on.
Dr. Jonathan Berkowitz, DMD, completed a three-year prosthodontic residency at the University of Michigan and spent ten years as the attending prosthodontist at the Northport VA. Referred patients return to your practice for their routine care.
Cases we are glad to see
Broadly, anything where the restorative complexity exceeds what you want to take on in a general practice — either because of the planning involved, the chair time, or the risk profile of the case.
- Full-arch implant rehabilitation, fixed or removable
- Multiple-unit implant cases and cases with limited bone volume
- Full mouth reconstruction and increases in vertical dimension
- Severe tooth wear, erosion, and parafunction cases
- Failing or fractured implant restorations, and peri-implant disease
- Complex removable prosthodontics, including precision attachment cases
- Combination cases involving both fixed and removable components
- Treatment planning consultations where you intend to restore the case yourself
- Patients seeking a second opinion on a plan you have proposed
Ten years on a hospital service
Before entering private practice, Dr. Berkowitz spent a decade as the attending prosthodontist at the Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he ran the prosthodontic service and trained residents.
That matters here for a practical reason. A hospital service does not get to select its cases. What arrives is what arrives — advanced periodontal loss, compromised medical histories, patients on bisphosphonates or anticoagulants, failed work from somewhere else, and a good deal of it at once. Ten years of that produces a different instinct for what is salvageable and what is not than an equivalent decade of elective private practice.
It also means that if you trained at Northport during those years, you may already know him.
How referrals work
Telephone the office, or send the patient with whatever records you have. There is no referral form to complete, though radiographs and any existing treatment plan are helpful.
Following the consultation you receive a written report with the findings, diagnosis, and proposed plan. On completion you receive a second report covering the restorative details and any maintenance considerations relevant to their ongoing care with you.
If you would rather talk a case through before referring, call and we will find a time. There is no charge for a colleague's question.
Working alongside your restorative plan
Where you intend to restore the case yourself, we will place implants to your plan and supply the surgical record and components you need.
The one thing we will always want to establish first is the restorative endpoint. Implant position should be determined by the prosthesis it will carry, not solely by where bone happens to be available — and cases planned the other way round are the ones that come back as problems.
Questions
From referring colleagues
Will you keep my patient?
No. Referred patients return to your practice for their routine and preventive care once the specialty treatment is complete.
This is stated plainly because it is the concern that stops most general dentists from referring, and it is a reasonable one. Our interest is in the complex cases; yours is in the ongoing relationship. That arrangement works for everybody, including the patient.
What will I receive back?
A written report following the consultation setting out the findings, the diagnosis, and the proposed treatment plan. A further report on completion, including the restorative details and any maintenance considerations.
If you would prefer to discuss a case directly before or during treatment, call the office and we will arrange a time to speak.
Can I refer for a consultation only?
Yes, and a number of colleagues do exactly that — particularly for treatment planning on complex cases they intend to restore themselves.
We are glad to provide a plan and hand the case back, and equally glad to place implants for restoration in your practice if that is what suits you.
Do you place implants for restoration by the referring dentist?
Yes. Where you would like to restore the case yourself, we will place to your restorative plan and provide the surgical details, impression components, and any guidance needed.
We will always want to agree the restorative endpoint before surgery, since implant position should be driven by the planned prosthesis rather than by available bone alone.
Have a case you would like to discuss?
Call the office and ask to speak with Dr. Jonathan. There is no charge for a colleague's question, and no obligation to refer.
40 West 86th Street, Suite 1C · New York, NY 10024