Dr. Eberts: So Gene why did you first go into dentistry?

Dr. Sambataro: I’m asked that question many times by my patients. What interests you in doing this? In fact it’s been so long, I have a hard time remembering.

Dr. Eberts: How long has it been?

Dr. Sambataro: Almost 25 years. It seems like yesterday, I’ve enjoyed it that much.

I remember back in high school I really loved the sciences: Biology, Chemistry. So I looked into what I could do with that. One of the school counselors suggested the health sciences, medicine or dentistry.

My dad was in the insurance business and there was a dentist next to my father’s office. He actually was my dentist and I had the opportunity to spend some time with him. What he did was very intriguing to me.

So I thought this is what I want to do. I can work with people. And I like working with my hands. I spent a lot of time growing up taking things apart sometimes putting them back together.

Dr. Eberts: So, it’s simply a matter of having someone next to your father’s office that turned you on to the field.

Dr. Sambataro: Yes. That, plus an interest in helping people and the health sciences really intrigued me.

Dr. Eberts: Right, right.

What is it you find most rewarding about what you do?

Dr. Sambataro: I think the most rewarding part of it is being able to help people and feel that I have made a change in their lives

Dr. Eberts: Yes, I know exactly what you are talking about.

Dr. Sambataro: Especially someone that still needs a lot of dental treatment but they are a little bit anxious about having it done. Or people that have neglected their dental care because of anxiety and they don’t have that smile like they would like to have.

To see the transformation that occurs in people is very rewarding

Dr. Eberts: I certainly know exactly what you are talking about. I experience that myself.

The most rewarding part of what we do as healthcare professionals is actually seeing people’s lives change.

Dr. Sambataro: Yes, that happens all the time.

Dr. Eberts: Now Gene, you know, as most people know, that going to the dentist is not high on the list of fun things to do for most folks.

Dr. Sambataro: No not at all

Dr. Eberts: The studies that we have done indicate the three major concerns most people have are discomfort, finances and taking time to do the treatment. How does your office deal with those kinds of issues?

Dr. Sambataro: We offer several options. Its interesting even in today’s society with public awareness and technology, there is still 50% of the population that aren’t seeing the dentist.

And the studies show that the number one reason is in fact anxiety. So we offer some options to help relax the patient.

One of the latest changes is Sedation Dentistry.

Dr. Eberts: Well. Tell me about it. What is sedation dentistry?

Dr. Sambataro: It’s like taking a nap during your dental treatment.

You take a small sleeping pill about an hour before your appointment. Then upon arriving we will evaluate your status and we may give you another pill.

So you are pretty much just taking a nap while we work on your mouth.

Dr. Eberts: It’s not like going into a hospital and getting an IV and being totally sedated?

Dr. Sambataro: No IV placed. Many people think of sedation as general anesthesia. It is not general anesthesia. You are not unconscious.

It’s no different than having some minor sleep problems and asking your doctor for a sleeping pill. You take one and wake up in the morning feeling better. But you are not being monitored at that time. We monitor your vital signs just as a precaution.

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Dr. Eberts: Is it a safe procedure?

Dr. Sambataro: Yes, it is extremely safe. As I said, it’s very similar to what people use at home to help then sleep. With Sedation Dentistry you have people watching you. We have you on a heart monitor and we are checking your oxygen and checking your pulse just as a precaution. And also, I can bring you back to awareness fairly rapidly - just a pinch of the arm and I can get your attention.

Dr. Eberts: So it’s really like being asleep. I’ll be somewhat aware.

Dr. Sambataro: You will be aware, but you will be in a state that is like taking a nap. And the nice thing about this is it has somewhat of an amnesic affect.

There are some things that we will do that you may feel a little discomfort, like when we give you the anesthesia you may feel a little sting. But you won’t remember that the next day.

You’re totally in an environment that you can be trustworthy of the people that are working on you. Some people are not willing to let go of that when you talk about going to sleep. So we make them very comfortable and we want to reassure them that the treatment is going to get done. They will be napping, they will wake up and it will be a pleasant experience.

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Dr. Eberts: Will there be any discomfort?

Dr. Sambataro: Generally, no discomfort at all. In fact, what I found is interesting. When we are doing an extraction or something that typically would cause discomfort, patients with Sedation Dentistry seem to have less discomfort. So there is something else going on there that I am not quite sure of.

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Dr. Eberts: Right, right. So are there any needles?

Dr. Sambataro: Well, you would still get local anesthetic, just like you would for any other procedure. Most people would like to be numb, even though they are going to take a little nap. So during that time we may use nitrous oxide, just to give you a little more sedation in the beginning of the procedure. We give you the local anesthetic and then you will be numb and you will not feel anything after that.

Dr. Eberts: Nitrous oxide. I have heard it called laughing gas. Will I be laughing when I take it?

Dr. Sambataro: You may be - especially early on in the procedure, because you are not in a deep sedation. Actually, I shouldn't even say deep sedation. Some people will think I really am going to sleep.

It is a very, very light sedation. But if we want to get you a little bit more comfortable during that time when we are numbing you up, we may use that. And you may laugh. Some people do get sort of giddy, because they are feeling a little giddy. It’s a fun process.

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Dr. Eberts: So let me ask you Gene. Are there any side effects to conscious sedation?

Dr. Sambataro: Actually, there are really no side effects, other then that your reflexes may be a little bit less then they would be under normal circumstances. That’s why we ask that you have someone bring you to the office and also escort you home and then stay with you for about three or four hours. After that time, it is pretty much out of your system. So you are back to normal.

Dr. Eberts: So, this will require that I have someone come with me?

Dr. Sambataro: Yes. Actually we will not see you if you don’t arrive with someone. They don’t have to stay in the office the whole time, but they need to bring you and they need to certainly be there when it’s done.

Dr. Eberts: Now, that could be a limitation for some folks. I know when I go to the dentist, I usually go by myself. So now, with sedation dentistry, I’ve got to involve someone else. Are there any other possible drawbacks or limitations to the use of this procedure?

Dr. Sambataro: There really isn’t. Other then maybe taking a little more time off then you had planned. But if you look at the other side of that, it’s going to require less appointments.

Dr. Eberts: O. K. Tell me about that a little bit more about that in terms of more time.

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Dr. Sambataro: Well, we talked a little about anxiety as one reason to use sedation dentistry. Another great reason for sedation dentistry is someone who is very busy.

Let’s say you have a treatment plan that is going to require ten appointments. So, for each appointment you are going to have to take some time off for travel. Travel to and from the dental office. And you also have to deal with the numbness each time. With sedation dentistry, you can have all that treatment done in one day. One visit and it’s done.

Dr. Eberts: My goodness. That’s impressive. So instead of losing possibly eight to ten days, or even half days from work, I may just lose half a day or one day.

Dr. Sambataro: Absolutely. You may choose not go back to work that same day, but you probably could. If you had some work to do at home you could do that. You are going to be fine.

And this is why we have to caution patients, because when they are done the person that picks them up always thinks they are fine. We have to stress the fact that they can not drive and they need to be taken home and watched for a few hours because they are really almost fully awake. Just your reflexes are going to be a little bit depressed.

Dr. Eberts: It sounds to me that you and your staff go out of your way to ensure the safety and comfort of a person such as myself, if I came in for sedation dentistry. You want to make sure that everything is taken care of and looked at. That is really kind of reassuring. I like the feeling of that.

Dr. Sambataro: Well, we feel very confident that we can provide a service for the patient that is going to make them comfortable and is going to make them feel better about the dentistry they had done and also be a rewarding experience. As you said earlier, for many people, they can’t say that going to the dentist is not a lot of fun.

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Dr. Eberts: Tell me Gene, what would my first visit to your office be like.

Dr. Sambataro: Well it could be simply just a visit to tour the office. We will do whatever is going to be most comfortable for you.

Typically though, we would want to give you an interview. We may have you fill out some paperwork, if that’s O. K. with you. If not we can put that off to another time. Meet the staff, sit down and talk.

We’d like to get to know you. And we want you to get to know us, so you will feel comfortable that this is a place that you can entrust us to take care of your mouth.

The first visit is often just a time to get to know each other. No treatment is done.

Dr. Eberts: It sounds like it depends on my needs and my interests. If I need to come in and get my dental treatment done and get out quickly, you folks are ready and willing to do that.

Dr. Sambataro: Absolutely.

Dr. Eberts: But, if I need a little more hand holding or need to get a little more settled and make sure that this is an OK place for me, then you will accommodate those needs.

Dr. Sambataro: One thing that’s real important with everything we do, not just the sedation part, is that we want to cater to each individual. So whatever your needs are we want to be there for you.

Dr. Eberts: Good!

Dr. Sambataro: It’s not a cook book operation where we treat everybody exactly the same.

No, it doesn’t work that way. Every one is different. Your needs may be entirely different then someone else’s.

This is an opportunity during that first visit to let us know what your needs are and then we can talk about what we can do to meet those needs.

Dr. Eberts: Excellent!

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So Gene, tell me what kind of payments do you accept. Do you accept insurance?

Dr. Sambataro: We don’t accept insurance. We decided some years ago that it required a lot of time from our staff. Without spending time and effort on insurance, we can actually pass those savings on to our patients.

We also offer financing. That way we don’t have to bill. That’s also a cost savings to the practice which, once again, we pass it on.

Dr. Eberts: So, I can pay this over time through a payment plan.

Dr. Sambataro: Absolutely. It’s a third party payment plan. In one of the plans, there are no payments for 12 months. That allows you to get the treatment done and not have to worry about making those payments for the next twelve months. As I said, that helps keep our costs down, which we then pass on as savings to you.

Dr. Eberts: Good! Excellent!

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Dr. Eberts: The final question I have for you – is it worth it?

Dr. Sambataro: Well, that depends. To find the answer to that question, we have to look at the two main reasons for getting sedation dentistry: Saving time and lowering anxiety.

Being able to consolidate all your treatment into one appointment - What is that worth to you?

To me, time is everything. You can make a lot of money, but you can’t get any more time.

And if you are a busy person, it’s hard for you to take off work. Maybe you can’t ever take off work. Maybe you work for someone that doesn’t allow you off work. So if you have to take off work eight times or ten times your boss isn’t going to be happy.

From the other prospective in terms of anxiety, why go through this more then once. You’re done. One time it’s over, you don’t have to think about it any more. So that’s going to be a good experience. So is it worth it? I think absolutely.

I don’t require any treatment for myself right now, but I think that’s the road I would go. Because I am a busy person, I’d want to get it done.

Dr. Eberts: Is there anything in closing that you want to share with a person that might be listening to this considering coming in to check out the sedation dentistry?

Dr. Sambataro: Well, I think what’s important is that they think about the reason that they haven’t received dentistry.

Is it something they have thought about? Is it dental work they think they need? Really, what is preventing them from having their dental work done?

If it’s because of some anxiousness, I think you will find that it’s not just that the practice uses sedation dentistry. My staff is very good at listening to your needs. They are compassionate. We are going to take good care of you, whatever your concerns or needs are.

Dr. Eberts: Well thank you it has been a pleasure talking to you.

Dr. Sambataro: It’s been very nice. Thank you.

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