Gary Nataupsky D.M.D and his son, Jason Nataupsky D.M.D, stand near a photo in the family dental office of themselves and their predecessor, Dr. Daniel Gordan. They are a three-generation dental office.
Aimee Dilger | Times Leader
Nataupsky Family Dentistry turns 75 – Wilkes Barre Times-Leader
With an emphasis on patient care, advanced technology and a community-centered mindset, it’s no wonder that Nataupsky Family Dentistry is a premiere dental practice that spans generations in both clientele and employees, alike.
The practice is a full-service general dentistry office. Business hours vary to best suit patient availability, and it accepts all major PPO insurance plans. It also works with the uninsured, providing an in-house discount plan based around the family’s “No insurance, no problem” motto.
Nataupsky Family Dentistry is celebrating 75 years in business from when it first opened its doors with Dr. Daniel Gordon, who began the practice after returning home as a dentist and captain in the medical corps during World War II.
“At the time, he was the dentist in NEPA. He was the go-to guy,” Dr. Gary Nataupsky said of his father-in-law.
As a student at Boston University, Nataupsky would meet and ultimately marry Gordon’s daughter. He would then discover his future career in dentistry — along with his future in the Wyoming Valley — and work beside Gordon.
“He was very influential in my deciding whether to go to medical school or dental school,” Nataupsky recalled. “He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
With his father-in-law as his mentor, Nataupsky learned both the medicinal and humane side of dentistry. He was instilled with morals such as “It’s always the right thing to do the right thing,” to listen to each patient and treat them with respect and dignity — all of which the practice still prides themselves on doing to this day.
“We don’t treat a mouth or a tooth. We treat people here. And that was a very important philosophy that he instilled in me,” he added.
Now, Nataupsky is passing down those same values to his own son, Jason, who chose to follow in his family’s footsteps and practice alongside his father. Together they form a team that can cover a vast amount of dental woes and concerns.
The work the father-son team perform along with 13 staff members spans much, much further than general dentistry, however. Specialties of each help to navigate through cosmetic and even advanced dental treatments that range from teeth whitening to smile reconstruction and laser dentistry.
Nataupsky Family Dentistry proves you don’t have to be in a big city to get top-notch treatment — and technology.
In fact, the practice holds many records for cutting-edge dental work over the decades. It was the first to locally offer dental implants in the 1980s, and the first to have digital X-rays in the 1990s.
Now it’s made another first for the area — a 3D digital impression scanning device that takes 2,000 pictures per second. The piece is just one of a long list of advanced technology — such as a VELscope that can complete an oral cancer screening in as little as five minutes — the office already offers.
“If it’s faster, if it’s more accurate, if it’s easier and the patient benefits from that technology, then we invest in that technology,” Nataupsky said.
The care and compassion the family puts into their practice is visible both inside and out. Some patients have up to seven generations of family members who have been clients, and several staff members have served the practice for over 30 years.
While the duo admits going to the dentist may never be the best part of someone’s day, it’s their goal to make an overall enjoyable experience and eliminate fears of dentistry. The office helps patients cope in a multitude of ways, including blankets and pillows, noise-cancelling headphones, aromatherapy, flatscreen TVs mounted on exam room ceilings and more.
“We do everything in our power, especially with our team that’s so amazing, to make that happen. That right there is, I think, the underlying values and moral pillars that this office has been built on from my grandfather and my father,” Jason explained.
He plans to uphold those pillars for the office while divulging deeper into community service throughout his own tenure.
Understanding the dilemma between patient needs and healthcare coverage, Jason hopes to spend more of his time volunteering at local health-based organizations.
“There are so many patients that just have so much need, but just cannot get to the dentist because of financial reasons, because of restrictions with their healthcare coverage,” he explained. “And there are amazing organizations like Volunteers in Medicine that are going to definitely directly benefit from people like me volunteering more with my team.”
For the first time in history, the practice will soon see the addition of a new dental associate.
In July Nataupsky Family Dentistry will welcome the addition of Dr. Christa Musto. The daughter of distinguished periodontist Dr. Charles Musto, her addition will allow for three working dental practitioners out of the office, and it is already garnering excitement.
Keeping a good working relationship between local dental practices plays an important role in overall patient care. The office collaborates with nearby dentists and specialists to ensure overall success in both practice and patient.
“We spend time with people, we build relationships. And that’s what has made us so successful,” Nataupsky added.
Find out more at drnataupsky.com.