What’s the quickest way to see Dr. Adam Goldberg do a double take? Just say the name “Dr. Goldberg.”

“I’ll say, ‘Is Steve here?’” he said, chuckling. “Some of my longtime staffers will look around.”

“Steve” is his father, Dr. Steven Goldberg, a former U.S. Army dentist who established a private practice in Augusta, Georgia, in 1975. In 2010, Dr. Adam Goldberg joined the office as an associate, just a few weeks after graduating from the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Together, the father and son built on a dental legacy that started a generation earlier with Dr. Adam Goldberg’s grandfather, who was a New York dentist who specialized in orthodontics. In 2017, Dr. Adam Goldberg purchased the practice from his dad, who retired in 2019. However, before he had set out to attain a white coat, Dr. Adam Goldberg thought about pursuing more of a suit-and-tie type of career.

“I always had an aptitude for business. As a kid, I would sit in on my dad’s annual meetings with his accountant,” he said. “So I started off as a business major when I was an undergrad at the University of Georgia. But then I decided I could have my own business and serve my community by having a dental practice.”

And for the third-generation Dr. Goldberg, the emphasis truly is on his local community. It’s the place where he and his wife, Megan, are raising their three kids. It’s where he rose through the ranks of the Augusta Dental Society and eventually served as president. It’s where he provides care for patients at the well-loved “dental home” known as the Goldberg Dental Group, which includes patients who have been coming to the practice since 1975.

“The same people who we treat are folks who I see at the grocery store on Sunday when I’m picking my milk out,” he said. “I have to be able to look them in the eye. It’s not a transactional relationship. We’re here to treat generations.”

In this Q&A with Smile Bulletin, Dr. Goldberg shares:

• Tips for new dentists
• Why he pursued training in implant dentistry
• The reasons he prescribes BruxZir^® Zirconia
• His review of the new BruxZir Zirconia Shade Guide

Kiali Wong Orlowski: As a practitioner who has been out of dental school for more than 10 years, what’s your advice for dentists who are just launching their careers?

Dr. Adam Goldberg: For starters, focus on the highest level of care and be as much as you can for everybody.

At my practice, we kind of see it all in terms of patients’ budgets and insurance coverage or lack thereof. That’s why Glidewell has been such an incredible partner to us. The fees at Glidewell are extremely reasonable, so we can pass on a more reasonable fee to our patients. We try to create the best overall experience by tailoring treatments to what the patient can afford.

KO: What about networking with other practitioners?

AG: Absolutely. You need to establish a solid clinical team that goes beyond your practice.

I’m a solo practitioner, but I have an incredible circle of referrals that includes a talented endodontist, oral surgeon and orthodontist. We have awesome communication and can co-diagnose, and everything just goes really smoothly. If you’re new to an area, you can build a high-quality referral network by joining your local dental organization. But it’s not about going after someone for something. I refer to people because I think their work is really good.

KO: Any other tips?

AG: Similar to creating a referral team, you need to put together a strong financial team.

I’m not one who’s trying to build up to multiple offices for a private equity sale, which is a route that I see a lot of dentists taking right now. What I’m suggesting is hiring a business consultant and an accountant, so you know where your money is going and you have a retirement plan. That is the difference between a dentist who works 40 years and ends up scrapping at the end, and a dentist who has planned appropriately for that transition to retirement one day.

KO: Why did you decide to pursue training in implant dentistry?

AG: I was really interested in taking my surgery skills to another level. In 2018, I completed an extensive course, and it opened up such a whole new world as far as being able to say to some patients, “Hey, we can do that implant here.” By no means do I place all my implants — I cherry-pick cases and place a small percentage of the whole pool of implant cases that I restore.

The implant course really helped from a restorative standpoint; I look at everything so differently now. And I’m so blessed that I had that training because, without it, I wouldn’t have been able to help as many patients, especially in the past year. The course was one of the best things I ever did.

KO: You have provided BruxZir Zirconia restorations to your patients for several years. What motivates you to return to BruxZir Zirconia again and again?

AG: The biggest thing that I love about BruxZir restorations is being able to provide a monolithic material. I don’t like using a bilayered alternative or a PFM, unless necessary; I just always worry that 20 months down the road, a patient is going to come in because they got a little chip in the ceramic, and now the whole restoration needs to be replaced. If I can, I would rather use BruxZir Zirconia. I love that it’s one strong piece of material.

KO: What are specific reasons that you choose BruxZir Esthetic Zirconia?

AG: I always tell patients that I want other people to look at them and say, “You have pretty teeth.” No one wants to hear, “You have pretty crowns.”

With BruxZir Zirconia — especially BruxZir Esthetic Zirconia — you’re talking about a material that’s going to check off the dual needs for esthetics and function. So I can give my patients pretty teeth that also function like teeth. I use it mostly in the anterior and premolar area because I really like the way the material looks, and being able to cement the crowns is just so much easier and less time-consuming than bonding. The results blend so well that patients can forget which teeth were restored.

With BruxZir Zirconia — especially BruxZir Esthetic Zirconia — you’re talking about a material that’s going to check off the dual needs for esthetics and function.

KO: As a BruxZir doctor, you reviewed a prototype of the new BruxZir Zirconia Shade Guide ahead of its mid-2021 debut. What did you think of the new guide?

AG: Using a zirconia-specific shade guide was wonderful. I can see having a BruxZir guide in each of my restorative operatories. The ability to rotate the tabs in the holders is helpful, and the look of the BruxZir Zirconia Shade Guide is really nice for patients and staff. If I say, “Throw me the BruxZir guide,” my staff will immediately know which shade guide is needed.