I’ve wanted to become a dentist since I was probably in high school. I seemed to gravitate towards the science classes. I grew up in the construction business, and I knew that wasn’t for me. Learned that the hard way. I always enjoyed working with my hands. I enjoyed doing models and working on cars, things like that. Always thought that maybe working at a desk or in a cubicle was definitely not for me.
I enjoyed being around people. I had a wonderful orthodontist when I was a teenager, and I thought that that would be a pretty cool job. I originally went to dental school with the thought of becoming an orthodontist, and it was only after I was in dental school that I enjoyed doing all the restorative work and things and realized that if you were to become an orthodontist, you would limit your practice to that, and not be able to do the other areas of dentistry, but if you were a general dentist, and you wanted to do orthodontics, that you could, so I stuck with restorative and cosmetic dentistry.
I’m so blessed that the rewarding part for me is we do a lot of cosmetic work. We do a lot of work for very anxious, apprehensive people that haven’t been able to go to the dentist for a long time. We do a lot of pretty advanced restorative work, that people’s mouths are pretty broken down, so the life-changing results that we get are just amazing, from people just literally crying when you hand them the mirror, to being so appreciative or sending us nice gifts.
It’s just … If I had to go back to just pulling teeth and putting fillings in, I think I might find another job, but the advanced training that I’ve had and the doors that that’s opened for me and what it’s let me do for people is just, it’s just indescribable. I think how many times that how lucky I am to be able to do that, that how many people go to work every day and file a report or get an account, but we just change people’s lives.
And it’s just people that were embarrassed, people that would always put their hands over their mouth or never smile or things that they couldn’t eat that they haven’t been able to in years, and to literally change their lives. It’s unbelievably powerful, and I’m extremely appreciative of being able to do that.
Dr. Reilly Is Widely Recognized for His Restorative & Cosmetic Skills
The Advanced Dentistry team in central New Jersey is led by Dr. Ralph Reilly, one of the best-trained and most highly regarded dentists in the country. Dr. Reilly is an international speaker and trainer, sought out for his knowledge in dental implant techniques and other advanced cosmetic and restorative procedures. His book, This Won’t Hurt a Bit: The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Dentistry, helps patients understand modern dentistry and eases their anxiety around dental appointments.
His awards and recognitions include:
- NJ Top Dentist for excellence in dental implants and cosmetic dentistry
- Talk of the Town – Best Cosmetic Dentist
- Consumers’ Research Council – America’s Top Dentists
Dr. Reilly graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now Rutgers). He was one of the first dentists certified by the state of New Jersey to perform sedation dentistry. He completed programs at and served as a Senior Clinical Instructor at several prestigious postgraduate programs, including:
- Rosenthal Institute for Aesthetic Dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry
- Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies continuum
- Baylor University’s aesthetic program
Dr. Reilly likes to stay on the cutting edge of dentistry so he can offer his patients the latest treatment techniques. For example, he was one of the first dentists in central New Jersey to offer the All-on-4® dental implant technique, which involves attaching a complete arch of replacement teeth to four implants.
Dr. Reilly especially enjoys using his world-class skills to help patients whose cases have been rejected by other dentists as too challenging. It thrills him to be able to change patients’ lives by restoring the appearance and functionality of their smiles. Dr. Reilly is also a popular dentist among other dentists and provides treatment to many of his peers.