I was raised in Niagara Falls, attended local public schools and graduated Honors Regents from Niagara Falls High School in 1986. I furthered my education by earning a Bachelors degree in Psychology in 1993 at the University of Buffalo. During college I worked for 5 years as a Psychiatric Nursing Assistant at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. For the year prior to being accepted to dental school I worked as a Social Worker for Family and Childrens Service of Niagara. In 1994, I began attending the SUNY/Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and graduated with honors in 1998.

Immediately after graduating dental school I completed a 2 year General Practice Residency at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Buffalo, NY. This was an optional residency and now all graduating dental students must complete a 1 year of postgraduate training. I found this to be a valuable 2 years learning to treat much more complex patients.

I joined the practice of Dr. John Bonghi, DDS as an Associate Dentist in July 2000, and became a partner in 2007. In 2009 my brother and I bought the practice from Dr. Bonghi and he remained on for 5 years as our associate. In late 2014, we renamed and rebranded the practice as Havens Family Dentistry.

From 1999 to 2013 I was part time Clinical Assistant Instructor at the UB Dental School, and found this to be an excellent source of continuing education, and a very rewarding experience being able to educate future dentists. Unfortunately given the pressures of military service every 4 years, the dental school was no longer able to provide enough flexibility for me to continue as a faculty member.

I am also a Contract Dentist for Great Lakes Dental which provides dentists to local military units in order to conduct yearly dental exams on service personnel. Several of our dental assistants are trained for this as well.

I am currently a member and past President of the Niagara County Dental Society. I am also a member of the Eighth District Dental Society, the American Dental Association, and the Delta Sigma Delta Dental Fraternity. I have completed extensive Continuing Education courses since my graduation in 1998.

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family, bicycling, and hiking especially in the Niagara River Gorge and Adirondacks. I also enjoy photography, local history, target shooting and auto repair. I have also coached little league baseball for Whirlpool Park Little League for the past 10 years. Havens Family Dentistry is a proud sponsor of this years Whirlpool Blue Jays who won the City Championship Mayors Trophy.

My interest in dentistry goes back to my childhood, in large part because both my parents were in the dental profession. My mother is a Registered Dental Hygienist who worked 50 years for various local dentists including Dr. Bonghi. I always loved going to the dentist as a child, not surprising since my mom was cleaning my teeth and letting my brother and I look in all the drawers of instruments, not just the prize drawer. My father, now deceased was trained as a dental technician in the US Army Dental Corps and served during WWOO and the Korean conflict. On many school holidays my Dad took John and I to work with him and we were able to see all the technology involved in making dentures and crowns.

I enjoy doing all phases of general, childrens, and cosmetic dentistry. I always look forward to welcoming new patients and their families into our practice and seeing our existing patients at their regular visits. I feel my Psychology background is a real asset to make new and existing patients feel at ease.

My name is Dr. John A. Havens. I was born and raised in the DeVeaux section of Niagara Falls, New York and attended local schools graduating from Niagara Falls High School in 1986. I currently reside in the same section of the city, and enjoy living in a community that has been familiar to me my entire life.

My interest in dentistry goes back to my childhood, as both of my parents were involved in the profession. My late father was trained during World War II as a certified dental technician in the US Army Dental Corps. My mother graduated from the then Erie Technical Institute(now Erie Community College) in 1954 as a Registered Dental Hygienist, and has worked locally for the past 50 years. I clearly recall my interest in traveling to all the local dental offices with my father, or spending time watching my mother at work in her respective office, which fueled my desire to make dentistry my lifelong career choice.

I graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1993 with a bachelors degree in Psychology. In 1994 I was accepted into UB Dental School, in the sane entering class as my brother and graduated with honors in 1998. My brother and I were very happy to attend dental school together, although during the final two years we were assigned to clinical areas on separate floors of the school, so as not to confuse patients and staff!

Following dental school, I completed a two-year residency and fellowship in Dental Oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. Here I gained valuable training in all phases of general dentistry, including significant oral surgery experience.

Since my residency, I have practiced dentistry as an associate in several local dental offices, including a year in Youngstown and three years in Wheatfield. I am proud to have joined the highly regarded practice of Dr. John Bonghi in September of 2004 especially since it has afforded me the opportunity to practice with my twin brother, Todd.

As a resident at Roswell Park Institute, I gained valuable training in all phases of general dentistry, including significant experience in oral surgery. I am a clinical instructor at UB Dental School and find this especially rewarding, as it allows me to interact with and educate the dentists of tomorrow, as well as keeping me current with the latest dental techniques and methods. I also have been as staff dentists at Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital since 2001.

I have been an officer in the United States Army Reserve Dental Corps since September 2000, and was activated with my brother in support of Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom for four months in 2004. While stationed at Fort Drum, New York, my brother and I augmented the installation dental staff by providing dental care to deploying and returning US Army Reserve Soldiers. I served with distinction on active duty and consequently was awarded the US Army Achievement and Global War on Terrorism medals following my deployment.

I am currently a member of the American Dental Association, New York State Dental Society, Eighth District Dental Society, Niagara County Dental Society, and a life member of Delta Sigma Delta Dental Fraternity.

Finally, I am proud to say that I feel my greatest achievement in dentistry is my ability to put my patients at ease and make their experience in the dental office a positive one. I truly understand and appreciate the anxiety that a trip to the dental office can cause for many, and strive to do my utmost to make my patients relaxed and comfortable. The health of the while body is linked to the health of the mouth, and feel like it is my duty as a professional to do my absolute best for my patients at all times. I heartily welcome new patients and their families into our practice, and I look forward to treating you.