Get all your oral and plastic surgery needs covered at Aesthetic Surgical Arts
By Ashley Puderbaugh
Published July 2010
Women’s Edition magazine
With the kids out of school for the summer, now may be the perfect time to schedule surgical dental work such as wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth first appear between ages 17 and 25, and they can cause problems because the average mouth is made to hold only 28 teeth. It can be painful when 32 teeth try to fit in a mouth that holds only 28 of them.
“This is also a perfect time for dental implant placement as well,” says Joseph Camarata, MD, DMD. This is because patients have many federal holidays they can work around, and some may have summer hours at work. While wisdom teeth removal and dental implants are two of the most popular surgeries at Aesthetic Surgical Arts during the summer, they certainly aren’t the only services that Owner Dr. Camarata provides. He also can do body procedures such as tummy tucks and liposuction; facial procedures such as face-lifts, rhinoplasty, and eyelid surgery; breast augmentation; and oral surgery such as facial trauma, jaw surgery, cleft lip and palate, sleep apnea, and much more.
Before Dr. Camarata considered a career in dentistry, he built and framed homes. He became interested in architecture and took a couple of classes at the University of Kansas. He then decided that he wasn’t interested in architecture, but instead decided to go to school for dentistry at the University of Nebraska. There he received his Doctor of Medicine degree. He went on to receive his Doctor of Medical Dentistry degree from the University of Pittsburgh, graduating from these programs with distinctions and honors. Dr. Camarata held the position of Chief Resident in both programs as well.
“There are parallels between the two careers,” Dr. Camarata says. “I like designing things, and I’m able to do some designing in this career. I really enjoyed working and framing homes; how you can build something from a blueprint and put it together. That stirred my interest in dentistry.” After dental school, the surgical side of dentistry piqued his interest, and he became American board certified in oral/maxillofacial surgery. Later on, he also became American board certified in plastic/reconstructive surgery.
A big part of oral/maxillofacial surgery is a lot of facial and jaw reconstruction and aligning the jaw with corrective jaw surgery, Dr. Camarata explains. This was very intriguing to him. “I wanted to expand my abilities to do other things, which is why I went into plastic surgery as well. I have the ability to do a lot of surgical procedures for folks; many reconstructive efforts. It was just kind of an extension of my other training to go into other surgeries.”
It has been three years since Dr. Camarata opened his office in Overland Park, although he still has an office in Lincoln, Neb. that he visits five days a month. Aesthetic Surgical Arts moved to its current location just a year ago, and the move afforded the practice a lot more space.
Dr. Camarata and his staff at Aesthetic Surgical Arts are dedicated to providing the highest-quality patient care through honesty, kindness, and respect, he comments. “I think the thing that sets us apart is that we treat everyone who comes through the door as our family,” shares Kathleen Koffman, practice manager. “From the first phone call to the last follow-up, which can span months depending on the type of surgery, that person really becomes part of our lives. We do feel they are part of our family here. We share things, stories, and we see them out in the community. I think they appreciate the care that we give them and the respect that we show them.”
Because surgery, whether it’s oral surgery or facial procedures, is such a big decision, Kathleen offers advice for people who are looking into getting something done. “There are certain things that you want to make sure of before you have any type of surgery done,” she says. First, you need to do your homework on the surgery to find out about all the options you have. Then, she advises to make sure to get a second opinion. “I think most doctors have patients’ best intentions at heart, but you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. You also need to be very, very comfortable with your surgeon, especially when you’re looking for someone to do something as personal as cosmetic surgery. You want to make sure that this is the person that you’re going to trust with your future.”
Kathleen credits the success of Aesthetic Surgical Arts to the teamwork that everyone on the staff puts in. “We go out of our way to make an experience the best possible that a patient can have. Everybody jumps in wholeheartedly, no questions asked,” she explains. “That comes from the top down because Dr. Camarata is that way. His expectation of his staff is that they all give exceptional care, and we all truly believe that as well. Mechanically, all oral surgeons pretty much can do the same thing—it’s really about the care that you’re given before and after that makes the difference.”
Dr. Camarata says he enjoys his work because he can immediately see how it changes people’s lives. Perhaps you can’t chew, bite, or swallow properly, you have speech problems or chronic jaw or TMJ pain, you have an open bite or protruding jaw, or you have breathing problems. Any of these symptoms can exist at birth. They can also be acquired after birth as a result of hereditary or environmental influences, or as a result of trauma to the face. “If you can somehow get their face in better harmony and proportion, the effects to them personally are very gratifying. We’ve had many people share that with us,” he says. In fact, Dr. Camarata shares that corrective jaw surgery is one of his favorite procedures to do because it’s challenging but rewarding. “I really enjoy the immediate effects—it can change people’s lives in a very positive way, so that is a very big attraction for me.”
For more information on oral and maxillofacial surgery or possible plastic surgery options, visit the Web site. The clinic is located at 12541 Foster St., Suite 330 in Overland Park behind St. Luke’s South. You can contact them at 913-851-7447.
