Top Dentists 2011: Watch Your Mouth

That’s what dental professionals are trained to do. These specialists do it especially well.

There are two basic diseases in dentistry: deterioration of the gums and tooth decay. Both can lead to significant problems, but you can smile—because both can be prevented. And for those who could have been a wee bit better about prevention, both problems can be treated in ways that will make you forget you ever had an issue.

The professionals profiled here were chosen by a survey of their professional peers, so you can be assured of their experience and effectiveness. They have much to teach. Should you run into trouble, they can help. So keep that smile bright. Dentistry is better than ever

 

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Top Dentists 2011

Profile: Dr. Stanley H. Goloskov, General Dentistry, page 2

Profile: Dr. Christopher D. Burns, Prosthodontics, page 3

Profile: Dr. Rachel A. Maher, Pediatric Dentistry, page 4

Profile: Dr. G. William Keller, Periodontics, page 5

 

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General Dentistry, page 6

Endodontics, page 7

Maxillofacial Surgery, page 8

Oral Pathology, page 9

Orthodontics, page 10

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Pediatric dentistry, page 11

Periodontics, page 12

Prosthodontics, page 13

 

 

Photograph by Jared CastaldiDr. Stanley H. Goloskov
General Dentistry

Dr. Stanley Goloskov sits in a small consultation room of his Wilmington office, Mac PowerBook on his lap. Oxyfresh toothpaste and rinse, ProClean Sonic toothbrushes and Crest Whitening Strips stand on a nearby shelf for anyone who wants them.

Goloskov summons an image of his next patient’s mouth on the computer screen. The patient is a middle-aged man who had worn dentures most of his life. “We needed to do something for him,” Goloskov says. “Things were failing in his mouth.” Teeth were decaying. Gums were receding. Bone was eroding. Unchecked, the patient could have lost his few remaining upper teeth.

Goloskov’s solution: installation of a bridge anchored to five or six implants. The fix is permanent—thus eliminating the need for a removable partial plate and annoying dental adhesives—and easier to maintain. It will prevent further loss of the gum and bone that hold teeth in place. And, just as important, the result is sturdier and more comfortable. “This improves the structure immensely,” Goloskov says.

Most of us can’t imagine the inconvenience of tooth decay or gum and bone loss so severe that eating—even speaking—becomes excruciatingly painful. Goloskov, in practice for 38 years now, noticed the problem as a young man.

“Back then, many 60- or 70-year-olds didn’t have teeth,” he says. “I saw the ravages of that. One of the things you do socially at that age is go out to eat with your friends. If you can’t do that, it messes up your adult senior life.”

Or your young life. Dental problems strike at all ages. Goloskov believed he could help.

Though considered a general dentist, he has narrowed his practice to restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Professionals can become certified in specialties such as periodontics and prosthodontics after two or more years of closely supervised postgraduate training, but confident and experienced general dentists can perform many of the same treatments, such as installing bridges and crowns, as a prosthodontist does, and making implants, as a periodontist does.

“Over the years, I’ve loved this, so I’ve taken many courses in it,” Goloskov says. “Things we feel comfort with, we can focus our practices on. You can be as good as any specialist.” In some cases, as with the patient on the PowerBook, he “quarterbacks” a team of caregivers.

Goloskov was attracted to dentistry by the science of healing, as well as the “artistic flair” required to create and install dental prostheses. He earned his bachelor’s and doctor of dental surgery degrees from the University of Maryland, then went to work.

Goloskov keeps up on the latest advances by reading the International Journal of Periodontics and Prosthodontics and Journal of the American Dental Association, by completing the 100 hours of continuing education required of every licensed dentist in Delaware, and by meeting monthly with study groups of other local dentists to share information and consult on interesting cases. He also makes regular presentations to other professionals, such as a lecture in March for residents at Christiana Hospital about new composite materials. “The presenter learns a whole lot more than the students,” he jokes.

Beyond the singular quantum leap of implant dentistry, which allows dentists to fix prosthetic teeth to screws placed in the patient’s jawbone, overall advances have occurred slowly and steadily during his time in practice. Materials continue to improve. He speaks of matrix metalloproteases such as zinc endopeptidease, which improve the bonding and strength of implants, and of morphogenetic proteins, which are helping researchers regenerate bone.

The next big thing: “They’re growing teeth in the lab,” Goloskov says. Practical application may not be viable for another 10 or 15 years, he says, but, “that’s pretty neat.”

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Photograph by Jared CastaldiDr. Christopher D. Burns
Prosthodontics

Dr. Christopher Burns of Dover calls prosthetic dentistry “the last cottage industry” because it is one of the few where practitioners create things by hand.

For this maxillofacial prosthodontist—one of only a couple hundred in the country—that means fashioning everything from a basic crown to, in one especially complex case, a gold frame to support a prosthesis for a patient who lost his upper jaw and most of his facial bone to a rare cancer.

“It’s very customized,” Burns says. “You give patients something that works well, is comfortable, and they like the way it looks.”

Burns came to his work, he says, by accident. As a pre-med student at College of the Holy Cross College in his native Massachusetts, he worked for a genetics professor, studying genes on yeast through an electron microscope. While speaking with a friend who was attending dental school at Georgetown University, “I thought, You know, that might be more fun.”

So Burns headed to Georgetown, where he was also exposed to many types of dentistry. Through prosthodontics, he saw the complications of oral cancer and treated people with cleft palates. He also discovered that he enjoyed making things. “I ended up having to do a lot of my own lab work,” Burns says. An instructor encouraged him to specialize.

After graduating in 1988, he practiced under a prosthodontist in Massachusetts for 18 months, then started teaching at the Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia. While there, Burns started practicing in Dover and Salisbury, Md. He also worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Elsmere, one of the first three government institutions in the country to perform implant dentistry.

“I was very lucky that way because we had an early exposure to it,” Burns says. “Having something the body would accept that way was an absolute miracle.”

The miracle was the discovery that bone would bond to the metal titanium—a process called osseointegration—which allowed dentists to insert screws into the jaw that became, in essence, roots that prosthetic teeth could be attached to.

Implants require bone, which some patients lose through infection. Though Burns points out that bone can be rebuilt through grafting, in some cases, bone can be regenerated with the help of special proteins. Hyperbolic oxygen therapy can help regrow bone after a cancer patient’s radiation treatment, which compromises its ability to accept implant screws.

“The great crown and bridge guys of 40 years ago could not have imagined something like this,” Burns says.

That’s not to say the need for crowns, bridges or dentures is yet a thing of the past. Burns often uses a CEREC machine to fashion crowns right in his office. Guided by a computer image of the affected tooth, the lathe-like instrument can cut a replica from a cubical blank of composite material in 20 minutes. (The latest generation of the machine does the same work in six.) Patients don’t need to wear an uncomfortable temporary crown for a week while a permanent fixture is manufactured in some distant lab, eliminating the need for multiple sessions in the dentist’s chair.

Burns is aided by the use of a Galileos cone-beam scanner, which generates 3D images of his patients’ mouths. It provides better information than traditional X-rays, and it reduces radiation, a special concern for cancer patients. Digital imaging and record keeping also allow him to share information quickly via email with other professionals involved in a patient’s care.

(With such state-of-the-art technology, Burns jokes about the 1950s-era chair that remains in one consultation room, a relic from when he bought the office building.)

Burns has practiced in Dover exclusively for the past 17 years. He still teaches, though now at Polytech High School in Woodside, where he treats children who might not otherwise see a dentist. He keeps up with the dental literature and with fellow members of such professional organizations as the American College of Prosthodontics and Academy of Osseointegration.

“Between materials that are more durable and aesthetic than ever and better techniques, these are the good old days of dentistry,” Burns says. “There are big changes in technology coming, I’m sure. But these are the good old days.”

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Photograph by Jared CastaldiDr. Rachel A. Maher
Pediatric Dentistry

Periodontal disease is the most prevalent issue among adults. Among children, it’s tooth decay.

The formula is a simple one: A bacterial film on a kid’s teeth—what we know as plaque—hardens into acidic tartar that, when allowed to build, causes tooth decay.

And it’s five times more common than the next leading children’s health issue—asthma—says Dr. Rachel Maher, one of the state’s few certified pediatric dentists. One difference between the two problems is that tooth decay is preventable. “That’s the kicker,” she says.

Maher’s offices are a cheerful place. They are bursting with Disney decor. Vintage Jr. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong Jr. machines stand at the ready. There are issues of Family Fun, Parenting, Family Circle magazines for waiting parents. And there is lots of sunshine on a bright day.

The cheeriness belies the sometimes intense work that happens there. Of the 35 to 50 patients she sees each day, Maher does some routine consultations and cleaning, but she also sees the worst of cases, such as kids with cavities in all 20 teeth. “I’m often the last resort,” she says.

Children who need extensive work are often too rambunctious to sit still for long procedures, so Maher will treat them in the operating room, where they can be anesthetized for the duration of a procedure.

“Sometimes it’s the most efficient and comfortable way,” she says. “When treating a child, 100 percent of their attention is demanded. We need them to sit still and follow directions. That’s hard to do for a long time.”

The average age of those OR patients? An astonishingly young 3.25 years.

As a youth, Maher “never had a bad experience at the dentist.” Hers had a father and twin sons in the profession. Coming from a medical family herself, “I thought that was pretty neat. There were three generations.”

As a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Maher couldn’t imagine practicing pediatric dentistry. “I thought, Oh dear Lord, I’ll never be able to treat children.” Later encouraged by an associate, she explored it during a residency at Wilmington Hospital in 1999, where she also explored oral surgery. “I was pretty good at surgery,” she says, “but I’d never been there when something went really wrong.” So she followed the experience with a residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “I did 429 after-hours emergencies in a year,” she says, “I slept in the hospital.” She has practiced in Delaware for the past eight years and has served as chief of pediatric dentistry at Christiana Care for the past four.

The allure of dentistry is basic, she says. “There’s a medical aspect and a people aspect.

“In pediatric dentistry, we treat the child, but we also have to treat the parent,” Maher says. “For the parents, there has to be some education. And they often have some degree of guilt. For the child, there’s a behavioral piece.”

Education is key to preventing the degree of decay that lands patients in her OR. That means visiting schools and preschools to demonstrate effective brushing to students, teaching parents about the sugar that lurks in staples of kids’ diets and urging early examinations (they should begin at a year old), and encouraging pediatricians to take a quick look into their patients’ mouths during routine visits, then making referrals when necessary.

“We see a lot of babies,” she says, “so that’s important.”

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Photograph by Jared CastaldiDr. G. William Keller
Periodontics

On a recent visit to Mount Vernon, Dr. G. William Keller of Wilmington read a few pages from the diary of George Washington. Our first president was famous for not only his military genius and statesmanship, but also wearing dentures.

“Every night, he made a note about his mouth,” Keller says. “‘My mouth was extremely sore today.’ He was constantly concerned with it. Just think—if he’d had implants, and he never had to worry about his teeth, how much greater could he have been?”

Since 1988 Keller has specialized in periodontics, the area of dentistry most concerned with the health of the gums and underlying bone. Poor oral hygiene, genetics, and health issues such as heart disease, liver disease, respiratory problems and diabetes can all lead to deterioration of gum tissue, then the bone that holds teeth in place at the roots. Untreated, the result can be lost teeth.

Periodontal disease, caused by the accumulation of dangerous bacteria in the mouth, can also become the cause of systemic health problems.

“It’s a two-way street, a communication throughout the entire body,” Keller says. “You can’t just treat plaque and tartar. You have to treat the whole person. It’s much more important for a patient’s health.”

As a teen, Keller looked up to his dentist. With a natural aptitude for math and science, he was accepted into a dental program right out of high school. He earned a bachelor’s in microbiology and a degree in dentistry from the Ohio State University College of Dentistry. During his general residency at the Medical College of Ohio, a periodontist suggested he specialize. Keller moved to Delaware, then earned his certification in periodontics from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. He has practiced here ever since.

Much of his practice is focused on implantology—the embedding of special screws into the jaw bone and placement of a prosthetic tooth on top. Good implants have virtually replaced the need for bridges (prosthetic teeth that are cemented to their healthy neighbors) and removable appliances—the modern versions of George Washington’s dentures.

In advanced cases, Keller can rebuild lost bone through grafting. When periodontic disease is detected early enough, he can use antibiotic medicines or materials to eradicate the problem before it affects the bone, thus avoiding surgery. “We do everything we can to save a tooth,” Keller says.

Keller stays abreast of the latest advancements in materials and technique by reading the top journals on periodontics, taking regular continuing education courses and visiting periodontists around the county to observe their practices. That translates into things like new technology for his office, such as a CAT scan machine that provides him with 3D images of patients’ mouths—a great advance over standard X-rays.

“We find so much more to discuss with the patient,” Keller says. “We can plan treatment better.”

Beware: Up to 25 percent of us have a gene that predisposes us to periodontal disease. Yet the disease still needs bacteria to work its evil, so regular, effective brushing and flossing is the best prevention. “If you floss your teeth, you can live an extra 10 years,” Keller says.

It also helps to eat right and stay physically fit. If you smoke, quit. And avoid stress. “When you’re stressed, oral hygiene is the first thing to go,” Keller says. “If you don’t take care of yourself, your immune system will change. The healthiest people we see are in good shape.”

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TOP DENTISTS

Dentists listed below were the most recommended by their professional peers, as determined by a Delaware Today survey of Delaware-licensed dentists. Descriptions include their dental schools. YIP denotes years in practice. NA denotes information not available. Addresses listed are for main offices only. Dentists may have others.

General Dentistry

Stanley Goloskov
2500 Grubb Road, Suite 130, Wilmington, 475-0600; University of Maryland Dental School, 1972; YIP: 34

Garrett Lyons
Suite P1, Montchanin Mills, Rockland Road & Route 100, Montchanin, 654-1765; Georgetown University School of Dentistry, 1985; YIP: 25

Michael Wahl
2003 Concord Pike, Wilmington, 655-1228; Case Western Reserve University; YIP: 25

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Endodontics

Michael Aloe
850 S. State St., Dover, 736-6631; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; YIP: 18

Kim Carr
850 S. State St., Dover, 736-6631; Columbia University College of Dental Medicine; YIP: 5

Greg Dearing
114 St. Annes Church Road, Middletown, 285-0350; University of Pittsburgh, Temple University School of Dentistry; YIP: 13

Robert Director
1110 Bancroft Pkwy., Wilmington, 658-7358; Temple University School of Dentistry, 1976; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1981; YIP: 36

Jung Kim
1815 W. 13th St., Suite 7, Wilmington, 652-3556; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1993; YIP: 18

Daniel Kreshtool
1815 W. 13th St., Wilmington, 652-3556; University of North Carolina, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; YIP: 26

Debra Pace
1405 Silverside Road, Wilmington, 529-2500; Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; YIP: 18

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Maxillofacial Surgery

Eugene D’Amico
Medical Arts Pavilion, No. 2, Suite 1115, Newark, 292-1600; University of Maryland Dental School; YIP: 22

Douglas Ditty
1001 S. Bradford St., Ste. 2, Dover, 674-4450; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1999; YIP: 7

Thomas Dougherty
5317 Limestone Road, Wilmington, 239-2500; Marquette University Dental School, 1979; YIP: 30

Michael Kremer
10 Heritage Plaza, Wilmington; 1304 N. Broom St., Wilmington, 998-0331

Franklin Pancko
712 S. Governors Ave., Dover, 674-1140; Columbia University, 2001; YIP:10

Raymond Petrunich
1400 Peoples Plaza, No. 124, Newark, 836-3565; University of Scranton, 1992; University of Maryland Dental School, 1996; YIP: 8

Louis Rafetto
3512 Silverside Road, No. 12, Wilmington, 477-1800; Temple University School of Dentistry, 1979; YIP: 32

Joseph Spera
2101 Foulk Road, Wilmington, 475-1122; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1991; YIP: 13

Peter Subach
1601 Milltown Road, No. 17, Wilmington, 995-1870; Temple University School of Dentistry; YIP: 11

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Oral Pathology

Robert Arm
501 W. 14th St., Wilmington, 428-6468; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; YIP: 32

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Orthodontics

Clifford Anzilotti Jr.
2101 Foulk Road, Wilmington, 475-2050; 112 St. Annes Church Road, Middletown; Temple University School of Dentistry, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; YIP: 9

Clifford Anzilotti Sr.
2101 Foulk Road, Wilmington, 475-2050; 112 St. Annes Church Road, Middletown; University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; YIP: 41

Mark Fiss
4901 Limestone Road, Wilmington, 239-4600; University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, 1999; Ohio State University, 2002; YIP: 8

Constance Greeley
1405 Silverside Road, Wilmington, 292-1552; Temple University School of Dentistry, 1978; YIP: 31

Gordon Honig
2707 Kirkwood Hwy., Newark; 104 Sleepy Hollow Drive, Middletown, 696-4020; Boston University Dental School, 1980; YIP: 29

Ali Husain
1400 Peoples Plaza, Newark, 838-1400; 122 Sandhill Drive, Ste. 201, Middletown; New Jersey Dental School, 1993; Temple University School of Dentistry, 1997; YIP: 13

John Nista
1405 Silverside Road, Wilmington, 292-1552; University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, 1985; YIP: 21

Robert Penna
2710 Centerville Road, Ste. 215, Wilmington, 998-8783; University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; YIP: 15

Ray Rafetto
4901 Limestone Road, Wilmington, 239-4600; University of Delaware, Temple University School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco; YIP: 21

Stephanie Steckel
42 Hiawatha Lane, Dover, 672-7776; UCLA School of Dentistry, 1985; Medical College of Georgia, 1995; YIP: 16

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Pediatric dentistry

Dale Collins
5500 Skyline Drive, Ste. 3, Wilmington, 239-3655; University of Maryland Dental School, 1963; Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, 1972; YIP: 45

Lynn Collins
38 Peoples Plaza, Newark, 834-4000; University of Maryland Dental School, 1988; Temple University School of Dentistry, 1998; YIP: 22

Robert Collins
5500 Skyline Drive, No. 3, Wilmington, 239-3655; University of Maryland Dental School, 2003; YIP: 8

Jay Harris
220 Christiana Medical Center, Newark, 453-1400; University of Pittsburgh, 2000; Temple University School of Dentistry, 2005; YIP: 8

Lawrence Louie
250 Beiser Blvd., Suite 101, Dover, 674-5437; Temple University, 1985; Indiana University, 1989; YIP: 20

Rachel Maher
2036 Foulk Road, Wilmington, 475-7640; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 2001; YIP: 9

Richard Quinn
1380 S. State St., Dover, 674-8000; University of Maryland Dental School, 1972; YIP: 34

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Periodontics

Michele Broder
2300 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, 652-1533; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1988; University of Washington School of Dentistry, 1991; YIP: 20

Richard Chodroff
3105 Limestone Road, No. 203, Wilmington, 995-6979; University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry, University of Washington School of Dentistry; YIP: 29

Jeff Felzer
3105 Limestone Road, No. 203, Wilmington, 995-6979; Temple University School of Dentistry, New York University College of Dentistry; YIP: 4

Barry Kayne
58 Omega Drive, Unit F58, Newark, 456-0400; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1979; YIP: 32

G. William Keller
1110 N. Bancroft Pkwy., Wilmington, 652-3586; Ohio State University, 1980; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1988; YIP: 23

Bradford Klassman
1110 N. Bancroft Pkwy., Wilmington, 658-7871; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1991; Temple University School of Dentistry, 1995; YIP: 12

Louis Martin
1941 Limestone Road, No. 105, Wilmington, 994-4900; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry; YIP: 41

Steven D. Nemcic
901 Walker Road, Unit A, Dover, 734-1950; Ohio State College of Dentistry, 1969; University of Texas, 1976; YIP: 42

Emil Tetzner
804 S. State St., Dover, 744-9900; University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland Dental School; YIP: 29

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Prosthodontics

Christopher Burns
871 S. Governors Ave., No. 1, Dover, 674-8331; Georgetown University School of Dentistry; YIP: 21

Bill Moncevicz
3521 Silverside Road, Suite 2H, Wilmington, 477-9779; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 1975; YIP: 35

John Thaler
3512 Silverside Road, No. 13, Wilmington, 478-9000; University of Maryland Dental School, 1980; YIP: 31

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