Dr Gatti's Blog a Lawrence Dentist Reflections

A dentist by any other name

Occasionally a new client will call and want a dentist that can do it all. Well, I truly believe that the best dentists recognize that they cannot be highly skilled in all areas of dentistry. Sometimes it involves other specialists to become involved in a patient’s oral health to achieve the optimal outcome.

Realize that involving a specialist requires a significant level of communication on the part of me, my staff, the specialist and the specialist’s staff. I believe it is the primary dentist’s responsibility to coordinate the entire team. I will meet with the various specialists; discuss their respective findings and thoughts before we develop a treatment plan that meets your goals and objectives. Often we will choose to utilize one or a combination of the following specialists:

• Periodontist - This is a dentist who specializes in the care and prevention of gum-related diseases, bone regeneration, and dental implants. On occasion we will also ask them to biopsy a lesion if it is in area that is critical to the tissue supporting teeth.
Endodontist - This is a dentist specializing in disease that affects the dental pulp and nerve inside the tooth. Typically this involves root canal treatment.
Orthodontist – This is a dentist who specializes in the prevention or correction of irregular positioning of teeth.
Oral Surgeon – As you can guess this is a dentist that has special training in surgery of the mouth and jaw. Most tooth removal will involve an oral surgeon.

Developing a high degree of synergy with highly competent specialists is one of our primary objectives. I have been practicing dentistry for over 25 years. During this time I have come to realize what I truly enjoy doing and what I do very well. Not surprisingly, they are pretty much the same. I have also found specialists that feel the same about how they spend their time in dentistry. By involving a group of well trained dentists, who are truly experts at what they do, you are ensured of having the best possible care.

It is very common for me to meet on a weekly basis with dental specialists in order to coordinate diagnosis and treatment of individual cases. The sole purpose of these meetings is to make sure that any potentially different perspectives are discussed and a joint consensus is reached and treatment is coordinated for the optimum result. The time we take to discuss and confer about your case is an important part of the quality of care we provide.