Before the month is over we definitely have to give a shout-out and congratulations to our own Steven Hattamer, MD, selected as a New Hampshire TOP Doctor in Anesthesiology for 2016. Dr. Hattamer is head of the anesthesiology group Nashua Anesthesia Partners (NAP) and was instrumental in helping to create and continue to maintain our in-office program for dental IV sedation.
According to Wikipedia, “it is estimated that as many as 75% of US adults experience some degree of dental fear, from mild to severe. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of U.S. adults are considered to experience dental phobia; that is, they are so fearful of receiving dental treatment that they avoid dental care at all costs.”
At New Hampshire Center for Comprehensive Dentistry we have been working to ensure that those dental care experiences are positive for everyone, especially for people who are fearful or have dental phobia. Because no matter how great the dentistry, it’s each person’s experience of the dentist and dental office that sets up a lifetime of expectations. And that impacts their health, their comfort, their confidence and so much more.
Since 2007, patients at NHCCD have had the option of IV Conscious Sedation for all or some of their dentistry, whether they are severely anxious or fearful; have extreme tooth sensitivity, hyperactive gag reflexes, difficulty getting numb, pain from trigeminal neuralgia or TMJ dysfunction; as well as for those who would like as much dental treatment done in as little time possible. We are also honored to care for people with special needs. Our approach is designed with each patient’s safety, comfort level, individual needs and goals in mind.
Dr. Hattamer, who is also Chief of Anesthesiology at SNHMC, helped create the program so that a board-certified anesthesiologist evaluates each patient and administers needed medications while continuously monitoring vital signs, level of sedation and comfort throughout the entire procedure. The anesthesiologist is a critical and unique benefit of the sedation team at NHCCD and it frees the dentist or hygienist to more easily focus on providing needed dental care and treatment. Many of our patients tell us that the experiences and care they received here have changed their lives. It can’t get better for us than that!
So congratulations again to Dr. Hattamer. His peers’ votes surely went to the right guy!