Perfect Fit
Dr. Dmitriy Klass brings his natural curiosity, passion for the field, and commitment to patient care to the team at the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics.
by Matt Cosentino

Dmitriy Klass, D.D.S., M.S.D., was just three years old when his family immigrated to the United States from Belarus and settled in Brooklyn. Born into a family of mechanical engineers, he appreciated working with his hands from a young age and was taught to always ask, “Why?” His zest for learning followed him through every step of his education.  
 
“I was the annoying kid in class always raising my hand and I’m sure I was fun for teachers,” he says. “I was kind of a geeky kid and I was always nerding out on computers and building them, and I loved cars and working with my hands.”
 
It was during college when Dr. Klass discovered that dentistry combined the hands-on aspects with his love for science. He began an accelerated track at New York University and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree there before moving on to Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman Graduate School of Dental Medicine, where he completed his residency in periodontics and achieved a master’s in dentistry.
 
“I realized that I love doing surgery and I love the science behind periodontics,” he says. “I also like to read literature and do research, and this is a field in dentistry that has all of that. When I found out about it, from day one I was obsessed, and to this day it’s a passion. I could literally stay at work until 11:30 p.m. and be happy.”
 
While in Boston, Dr. Klass first learned of Philip L. Fava II, D.M.D.—who heads the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics—through his engaging and informative Instagram page. By happenstance, a fellow resident later informed him of Dr. Fava’s opening for an associate, as practice founder Robert A. Levine, D.D.S., was retiring.
 
The two got to talking over the phone and hit it off immediately. 
 
“Our first conversation lasted four hours,” Dr. Klass says. “Phil and I realized that we’re both curious, our philosophies for patient care match up, and we always want to do what’s best for the patient. When I first visited, I saw there’s a higher level of care here. This is the type of situation that, if you have an opportunity to get into, you drop everything and you go. This practice has been everything I expected and more.”
 
Dr. Fava could say the same about Dr. Klass.
 
“Early on it struck me that Dmitriy was somebody who is passionate about what he does and would shoot for the highest level in all scenarios,” Dr. Fava says. “He could have stayed in New York, but he came here because he wanted to become as good as he could possibly be. I’ve watched him work in challenging scenarios, and he always did what I would have considered to be the right thing.”
 
Dr. Fava has also appreciated Dr. Klass’s eagerness to participate in three study clubs run by the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics, where dentists from different disciplines come together to discuss their treatment of complicated cases. Dr. Klass looks forward to contributing to those groups and building meaningful relationships with the practice’s vast network of contacts in the field.
 
“We needed someone who is eager to keep learning and who is dedicated to excellence, and that’s what we found in Dmitriy,” Dr. Fava adds. “He’s the kind of person who always goes above and beyond, and he’s shown that in his willingness to help run the study clubs. He already has excellent clinical skills, and he’s going to continue to learn and become even better.”
 
Committed to Compassionate Care
Dr. Klass officially started at the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics on Aug. 1, and was thrilled to continue his education in the field at a practice that has such a stellar reputation. With offices in Ambler and Northeast Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics offers dental implant surgery, cosmetic services, and reconstructive and regenerative periodontal therapies. 
 
For his first two months on the job, Dr. Fava and fellow practitioner Eric F. Schoenebeck, D.M.D., took Dr. Klass under their wings. Dr. Klass says the entire staff has helped him absorb the culture of the practice and the commitment to providing compassionate care. 
 
“Early on, I was talking to everybody on the team, learning the flow, learning how things are done, how we give estimates, how we deliver treatment plans,” Dr. Klass says. “Even the way we numb patients here is totally different. The time, attention, and care that are given to make sure it’s basically as gentle as possible is something I had to learn, because it’s not traditional.”
 
Dr. Klass specializes in and excels at advanced dental implant procedures, although he stresses that helping people keep their natural teeth is the first priority. He likens it to physical therapy, where rehab for an aching knee would be the first option before knee replacement surgery.
 
“We do a lot of implants, but everything is centered on helping people stay healthy and keep what they have, if that is what they choose,” he says. “We will go above and beyond with the newest possible techniques to keep what they have, and teach them habits that will keep them happy in the future.”
 
Other treatment options that Dr. Klass provides include gum- and bone-grafting techniques to combat periodontal disease, and he enjoys educating patients on the best brushing methods and instruments that can improve their oral health. He and his fellow practitioners take the time to “help people help themselves,” which he believes sets the practice apart.
 
More than anything else, Dr. Klass is excited about setting down roots in the area and helping as many patients as he can. 
 
“In dentistry, you get to see the fruits of your labor almost right away,” he says. “I feel like I am directly, with my hands, changing people’s lives, at least in the small way that I can play a part.”
 
Pennsylvania Center for Dental Implants and Periodontics
www.padentalimplants.com
 
Einstein Center One, Suite 211-212
9880 Bustleton Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19115
(215) 677-8686
 
140 E. Butler Ave.
Ambler, PA 19002
(215) 643-4393
 
Photo by Jeff Anderson
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, October 2022.
 

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