Multi-specialist Dentistry

Narrator: In the early stages of Dr. Meola's career as a dentist, he noticed shortcoming for patients when more advanced care was needed. This visionary foresight in the late 1970s led to his creation of the multi-specialty practice. Dr. Meola: I saw the weaknesses in the practices for the patients, and that they were sent out to other specialists. Sometimes they would get lost, they didn't make it back, or they didn't get followed-up. The specialist would do his work, he would wash his hands and send a letter to the general dentist, and that would be it. I was one of the first dentists to start bringing in some specialists to the practice. Narrator: At the heart of the multi-specialty practice is the general dentist who is the hub of the care for the patient. This hub of care is then surrounded by top-of-their game specialists and the necessary points of the compass of specialty dental care, creating a dental care brain trust for the patient. Dr. Meola: I realized that having multiple specialists in the practice, you get to discuss with the patient there, with the specialist there, what would be the ideal treatment and what would be the treatment options. Narrator: Dr. Meola's multi-specialty practices are a tremendous advantage for patients because their care is under one roof, preventing them from having to make multiple appointments with multiple offices, and then hope that the proper information is passed back to their general dentist. Taylor: You don't have one doctor at one place, one doctor at another place; they're all right here, all making the same decision for the same patient. They will all make collaborative decisions as opposed to trying to collect 3, 4, 5 different opinions, and then bring them to one doctor to do that. That's the biggest thing that everyone needs to realize about Dental Associates of New England.