North Texas Dentistry Volume 9 Issue 5 2019 ISSUE 5 DE | Page 8

cover feature
The Transformative
Power of Teamwork
ENDODONTIC ASSOCIATES of DFW
by Tina Cauller
atients who are referred to an endodontist are some-
times in such severe pain that it hurts even to inhale.
It’s hard to concentrate and impossible to sleep. Their
only focus is making the pain stop – and the sooner, the better.
P
These patients need help fast. They count on their dentist to help
them find a specialist to treat their pain and relieve their distress.
For the referring dentist, much is at stake. Dentists work to earn
the trust of their patients and sending a patient in pain to
another office means that trust is on the line. Dr. Yogi Patel
understands the critical nature of this situation. He and the other
endodontists at Endodontic Associates are committed to meet-
ing the needs of patients in pain. When a patient requires urgent
care, they can almost always be accommodated immediately at
one of the group’s nine locations. “We have deliberately created
a patient-centered culture in our practice. Each member of our
team understands how important it is to get patients in for treat-
ment promptly. We tailor our schedules so that any emergency
can be accommodated the same day.”
Dr. Patel set high expectations when he acquired Endodontic
Associates in 2007. As the referral base has grown, the practice
has expanded to include 12 specialists, who each embody the
group’s core values, as does every member of the staff. “Each
8 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
member of our staff has been carefully selected to represent our
core values and to be a good fit with the rest of the team.”
He adds, “I decided to form a group practice because of all the
benefits to both patients and clinicians. It’s a model that allows
excellent patient care while giving our team extraordinary flex-
ibility to spend time with family and enjoy other personal inter-
ests. All of our offices are doctor-owned and managed and all of
our doctors are talented specialists with their own unique niche
within the practice. For example, my primary focus is surgery,
while others focus on other aspects of endodontics. At the same
time, each associate makes clinical decisions with complete
autonomy.”
The doctors in this practice value collaboration and communi-
cation. “One of the most significant benefits of our group prac-
tice is our collective expertise. We never need to turn to a chat
forum for a second opinion ― we can just consult with another
member of the team. Our doctors are highly trained and experi-
enced, and we enjoy collaborating to find the best solution to any
challenge. Even though our team is diverse, a shared philosophy
of practice and similar professional values bind us together.”
Patients and referring doctors can have confidence in the care
provided at Endodontic Associates. Every doctor at Endodontic