Sonterra Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Posted Tuesday, September 04, 2007
What single cut would an experienced team of surgeons find most exciting? On June 29, with one snip, Dr. David Malave and Dr. Bryan Roach severed a ribbon to mark the opening of Sonterra Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, a unique practice that had been years in the making. The concept for Sonterra originated from the extensive experience of both doctors and was based upon taking the "best of the best" from their hospital experience.
Dr. Roach had just retired from a 22-year career in the U.S. Army. He was Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center, a state-of-the-art, 450-bed health care facility in San Antonio that provides level-one trauma and graduate medical education. Dr. Malave recently completed his military commitment after 14 years of service. At Brooke, Dr. Malave was the Assistant Director of the Army’s largest oral and maxillofacial surgery residency training program and had previously served as Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Winn Army Community Hospital in Fort Stewart, GA.
As colleagues and friends, the two had developed the concept for the practice based on their shared experience at Brooke. "We knew we wanted to provide a full scope of oral and maxillofacial procedures in a comfortable environment that didn’t feel like a hospital or clinic," notes Dr. Roach. "At the same time, we wanted to have the best technology and practices in place to support our goal of providing exceptional care." In founding our own private practice, we had the opportunity to design both the practice and the facility to support that goal."
Sonterra Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is housed in a 4,390-square-foot facility equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation. In the planning stages, Drs. Malave and Roach incorporated the best elements of the various hospitals in which they had worked and designed the Sonterra center to have an efficient, ergonomic patient flow.
In sharp contrast to the anxiety-provoking atmosphere of an institution, the Sonterra facility was specially designed to provide a soothing, familiar environment, so even the most fearful adults and children can expect a pleasant, comfortable experience.
The doctors chose Huffman Developments, specialists in medical and dental office construction, to create the center’s home-like atmosphere. "The professionals at Huffman were great to work with," remembers Dr. Malave. "They are very knowledgeable about the building codes and handled all of the permits and other paperwork for us." Dr. Malave’s wife, Dr. Lisvette Rivera-Malave, D.M.D., a general dentist in San Antonio, personally designed and decorated the center and worked closely with Huffman’s staff to bring the vision for Sonterra to fruition.
The team worked together to design a low, Hill Country-style building constructed of natural Texas limestone with a Spanish tile roof. The front entrance is appropriately graced by a pair of stately old live oaks. Inside, the office features a warm, Southwest décor, with earthy colors and rustic textures. Beautifully displayed Texas memorabilia, Talavera ceramics and vividly colored paintings by local artists depicting San Antonio landmarks, like the Riverwalk and Alamo, make Sonterra feel more like a home than a medical setting. Comfortable chairs and sofas provide welcoming accommodations for patients and guests.
At Sonterra, the doctors perform wisdom teeth extractions, placement of dental implants, orthognathic surgery, trauma surgery, dentoalveolar surgery, surgical treatment of oral pathology and TMJ surgery. The practice also provides facial cosmetic surgery, such as brow-lift, blepharoplasty, chin augmentation, etc., as well as nonsurgical procedures such as Botox and Restylane.
The center is equipped with an in-house surgical suite designed for same-day surgery and other short procedures. The suite is outfitted with precisely the same technology as an in-hospital operating room. Platelet-rich plasma and general anesthesia are available if required, and the operating and recovery room nursing staff are both credentialed for general anesthesia care.
Drs. Malave and Roach interviewed prospects for six months to assemble an experienced, cohesive team of health care professionals who share their patient-centered philosophy. The staff was selected for their extensive experience and their capacity to provide friendly, compassionate care. "We strive to treat each of our patients the way we would treat a friend or family member," notes Dr. Malave. "We are very family oriented and recognize that although the quality of our patients’ experience is foremost, their experience is shared by their entire family, especially the caregivers. It’s important to us to attend to the needs of the family who accompany our patients as well."
Family and friends who have come to escort the patient home following treatment can relax in a comfortable reception area. Guests are pampered with cappuccino and bottled water, and comfortable chairs to view programming on a 40-inch flat-screen television. Children are invited to enjoy cartoons and movies on a DVD player. The staff keeps in contact with family members during the procedure to keep them informed of the patient’s progress.
Sonterra’s staff assists patients in maximizing their dental benefits by filing medical insurance claims when appropriate and handling insurance preauthorizations. Yvonne, the treatment coordinator, calls patients prior to treatment with an estimate to help with payment planning. The website will allow patients to complete a medical history online and view a movie clip that enables them to consider any questions about treatment before their appointment.
The Sonterra doctors work closely with general dentists, orthodontists, endodontists, prosthodontists and periodontists as integral members of an interdisciplinary team. The doctors are available by phone, e-mail or mail, so dentists are free to choose their preferred method of communication. Online communication with referring dentists lets them send referrals and receive X-rays instantly for added efficiency. Drs. Malave and Roach visit referring offices personally, and provide a convenient referral pad for dentists who choose to send hard-copy referrals.
When setting up the center, Drs. Malave and Roach selected a highly sophisticated computerized digital radiography system by General Electric, which is one of just two in the world, to provide crystal-clear CT-quality images for treatment planning. The practice is entirely paperless, with off-site backup for all medical records.
The Sonterra facility includes a spacious conference room, outfitted with a large screen and projector, which was designed for the presentation of continuing education courses led by Drs. Roach and Malave. The first session, scheduled for September, will address the use of orthodontic skeletal anchorage systems.
During their military careers Drs. Malave and Roach worked closely with Dr. Bob Christensen, D.D.S., developer of a custom-made total-joint replacement for the temporomandibular joint. The procedure, which has been in use for about 15 years, involves creating a CT image of the joint, which is used to create a custom joint implant. The finished implant is ready in two to three weeks after imaging. Drs. Malave and Roach are looking forward to offer this service to the wide variety of patients that suffer from temporomandibular joint disorders and require surgical correction.
"Military facilities are state-of-the-art facilities," notes Dr. Roach. "Military personnel deserve and receive the best care, and the patients’ ability to pay for the best treatment options is not an issue. As military doctors, we treated a diverse patient population and a wide variety of medical conditions, and we consistently focused on doing what was best for the patient. Dr. Malave and I are committed to bringing that same patient-centered perspective to our practice at Sonterra."
Dr. Malave and Dr. Roach developed special expertise in the military, and now put their experience to use at Sonterra OMS Center. They will serve the local community as on-call surgeons with San Antonio’s Baptist Health System, where they will treat patients with facial trauma.
Dr. David V. Malave was born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He received his undergraduate degree in science from the University of Puerto Rico in 1988. He earned a doctorate in dental medicine in 1992 at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, then joined the U.S. Army Dental Corps and completed a one-year hospital-based general practice residency in 1993. He completed an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso in 2001, graduating with a Commander Award for academic excellence. Dr Malave achieved board certification in the year 2003. His training provided extensive experience in orthognathic and reconstructive surgery, implants and facial cosmetics. He enjoys reading, sports and spending time with his wife Lisvette and their three children.
Dr. Bryan Roach was born and raised in Freeport, TX. He received his undergraduate degree in science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 and his D.D.S. degree in 1984 from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Roach then joined the U.S. Army Dental Corps and completed a one-year hospital-based residency in 1985. He completed an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso in 1998, achieving board certification in 2000. Dr. Roach has extensive experience in orthognathic and reconstructive surgery, implants and facial cosmetics. He met and married his wife Linda, a U.S. Army Reserve helicopter pilot, while on military assignment in Germany. He enjoys snow and water skiing, golf, boating, motorcycle riding, watching sports and spending time with Linda and their three children.