About Dr. Patmore

"I love what I do, the technology today makes root canals a safe and sophisticated procedure.  I love my patients and enjoy treating them."
- Kathy Patmore, DDS

Kathy Maureen Patmore graduated from the University of Louisville with a certificate in Endodontics,  Indiana University with a DDS degree receiving the Tillman and Miller Award for highest clinical achievment of all graduates, and University of Evansville with a biology and chemistry double major cum laude. 

She is currently a member of AAE, ADA, SBVCDS. Her philosophy of practice is to treat her patients the way she wants to be treated. Dr. Patmore has maintained a private practice in Santa Barbara, CA since 1992.

When I was asked to do this segment I was asked what is unique or special about what I bring to the specialty of endodontics. At first I thought, "I'm an excellent diagnostician who considers the value to the patient of the testing and treatment I provide before I prescribe any such testing or treatment". After more consideration, I thought how do I do that differently than other dentists or even specialists? I concluded that what I really do differently is listen well. I strongly believe that the most important thing that happens in my office is that the first thing I do when meeting a patient is I personally LISTEN to the patient.

I listen very carefully during the consultation appointment for the patient to tell me their chief complaint often mired in an involved history that the patient can't sort through even themselves.

I listen for their secondary complaints, their history which helps me differentiate dental, endodontic, and non dental complaints from each other.

I do not allow my dental assistant — who I believe has been with me so long that she could do all the treatments I currently do herself, from shear experience by my side; so I really respect her — to do the initial interview, exam, or x-rays. This is what is really different in my office. Most offices have the dental assistant who may or may not have ANY experience or training do the initial interview and the TESTING of the teeth!

This leads to a lot of expensive x-rays of questionable value, which may not be covered by the patient's insurance, since the doctor has not even focused the exam to some specific teeth yet. This clouds the issue for the doctor who will now walk into the room with some kind of preliminary diagnosis in mind.

I firmly believe that my skills are first and foremost the ability to listen for and diagnose endodontic complaints. After determining that the patient has complaints that need further evaluation, like x-rays, then I either test first, to get an idea of the specific area I want to focus on more, or x-ray first, to see which area I want to exam more carefully and what kind of testing is needed depending on what the patient has described already. I want to know WHAT I am looking for when I start the exam based on what the patient is complaining about.

I don't just give everyone a CT scan, several x-rays, and painful pulp testing on many teeth hoping to find a lot of work to do. I'm also very careful to not prescribe treatments based on what insurance covers or what I get paid the most to do. I have established a VERY loyal patient base in a tough, highly competitive field by giving my patients a great value with a lot of kindness and consideration for their time and careful utilization of their value for their dental dollar.

I'm having a great time every day in my office and I love interacting with my patients who receive a great value with loving kindness. I am very accommodating in my scheduling and quick to see patients. Anyone who needs to be seen quickly will be seen quickly.

I'm really fast and efficient. I believe in good technology if it provides value to me AND the patient. I was the first in Santa Barbara to equip my operatories with digital x-ray (1994) and all my operatories with "The Wand" now called Compudent II(two) computerized anesthetic delivery system for comfortable injections and all my operatories with Zeiss surgical operating microscopes which I have been using since 1992. I use a Temperpedic chair pad for patient comfort, I use rotary files for speed with an electric engine for quiet drilling, I use an apex locator for speed, accuracy, and a decrease in the amount of x-ray exposure the patient gets overall.

I have a comfortable garden view with classical music unless the patient wants if off or changed to something else. I have done approximately 20,000 completed root canals and related surgeries and implants over the course of 22 years.

I have been doing implants for 7 years and I believe I have the best oveall complete price on implants. My implant fee is a comprehensive fee based on the initial evaluation-I do not itemize because patient's don't understand implants very well so I think it is unfair to quote them a low fee that doesn't include all the parts and steps up to the crown commencement.