505.474.4644
Center For Dental Medicine
Treat obstructive sleep apnea and snoring with dental splints
Robert L. Wartell, DMD has had a varied and comprehensive career. After graduating from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, he served for two years as a dentist in the U.S. Air Force during the Viet Nam War. After returning to Philadelphia, Dr. Wartell opened a dental practice, where he cared for patients for 20 years. During this time, he spent 5 years teaching clinical dentistry, one day each week, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
After practicing for 12 years, Dr. Wartell was awarded the prestigious "Fellowship" in the Academy of General Dentistry. This is an award given for attaining continuing education credits far beyond those required to maintain a state dental license. It is common for Dr. Wartell to attend more than one hundred hours of continuing education each year, while the requirement for New Mexico dentists is only 20 hours every year. You can see the current listing of his accredited continuing education hours here.
After "retiring" to Santa Fe from Pennsylvania, Dr. Wartell participated in many local organizations: He was a volunteer firefighter in Eldorado for 5 years, a member of the boards of directors of the American Cancer Society and the Visiting Nurse Service. He and his wife Pat often cooked lunch for senior citizens at Open Hands senior daycare. He became active in the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation, and became District Governor and a member of the national Board of Directors.
Eventually, the urge to serve as a dentist became strong enough that Dr. Wartell spent three days taking the Dental Board Examination, and received his license to practice in New Mexico. He then worked as a dentist for patients at the state psychiatric hospital in Las Vegas, and at the Santa Fe Community College dental clinic. In these locations he was able to treat patients on Medicaid, who had previously had only limited access to dental care.
At the end of 2001, Dr. Wartell decided to offer his services to the entire Santa Fe community. He opened his own practice, so that he could once again help patients from all walks of life.
Since then, he has attended and is continuing to attend numerous seminars on the diagnosis and treatment of problems with the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), so he would be better prepared to help patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders. He has taken a strong interest in treating those with obstructive sleep apnea with removable oral splints. To further his education in these medical aspects of dental practice, he has become a member of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, American Academy of Pain Management, and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, to take advantage of their excellent and numerous continuing education opportunities. In 2008 Dr. Wartell completed a mini-residency in temporomandibular disorders at the AACP Institute. Dr. Wartell receives referrals from physicians and dentists throughout northern New Mexico for the treatment of chronic pain and obstructive sleep apnea.
Active in professional dentistry, Dr. Wartell has been the Santa Fe District Dental Society Trustee to the New Mexico Dental Association, and was the NMDA's Internet Communications Chair. He has been a member of the Santa Fe District Dental Society's Peer Review Committee since 2001. He is a volunteer member of New Mexico's Donated Dental Services, offering free dental care to help those in need. He also is a volunteer for New Mexico Mission of Mercy, where 2,000 people received free dentistry over two days at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque
In fields outside of dentistry, Dr. Wartell founded a creative writing award at the College of Santa Fe, in honor of the esteemed Rabbi Leonard A. Helman. His interest in web design is fulfilled by creating and managing this web site, as well as the site for Congregation Beit Tikva in Santa Fe (http://beittikva.info).
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If you are not sure you would like an appointment, we are happy to answer by phone any questions you may have. Call us at 505-466-4731.
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