For decades, specialty dentistry has followed a familiar pattern: the endodontist evaluates and treats, the oral surgeon extracts and replaces, the periodontist manages the foundation, and the general dentist coordinates care across multiple offices, timelines, and handoffs.
At Cameo Dental Specialists in Chicago, that traditional model gradually gave way to something more collaborative and patient centered. What began as a practical response to everyday clinical friction evolved into a fully integrated care approach—built and refined over time by partner doctors across endodontics, oral surgery, and periodontics.
That journey was shaped by the collective efforts of endodontic partners Dr. Rick Munaretto, Dr. Mike Munaretto, Dr. Keith Sommers, and Dr. Vladana Babcic Tal, alongside oral surgery partner Dr. Joseph Baptist and periodontics partner Dr. Kate Quinlin. As partner doctors at Cameo, they saw firsthand how traditional, disconnected care models could create unnecessary delays, duplicate consults, and fragmented decision-making, especially for patients in pain or facing complex treatment decisions.
Rather than working around those limitations, the Cameo team began building a different model: one where specialists collaborate under one roof, often in real time, with clear roles, shared diagnostics, and a seamless experience for both patients and referring doctors.
This was not a sudden reinvention. It was an evolution grounded in clinical reality, shaped by trust among partners, and driven by a shared belief that specialty dentistry works best when doctors work together.
The Early Spark: Reducing Delays Between Diagnosis and Definitive Care
Dr. Rick Munaretto describes a moment most endodontists recognize immediately. A patient arrives in pain; you get them numb, access the tooth, and realize it is fractured and non-restorable. What happens next is where the traditional system often breaks down.
“They’re in pain, and you have to have that conversation that their tooth needs to be extracted. You’re going to have to refer them out. They’re going to wait another one, two, three weeks in limbo, and they’re paying for two consultations or three consultations.”
That waiting period is not just inconvenient, it is costly, stressful, and delays definitive care.
Several years before the integrated care model had a name, Dr. Rick Munaretto and Dr. Keith Sommers were among the earliest to identify these friction points and begin building a better way, focused on reducing delays, shortening timelines, and improving outcomes when clinical realities changed.
For Dr. Keith Sommers, the value of a multi-specialty environment comes down to better decisions.
“I like having the ability to use other specialties in making treatment decisions… more players now to help make decisions, to help confer about diagnosis.”
In other words, collaboration that once required phone calls, emails, and delayed referrals could happen in real time, with the patient present.
Integrated Care, Defined in a Specialty Practice
In a specialty setting, integrated care does not mean everyone does everything. It means same-location access to endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery, with shared diagnostics, aligned treatment planning, and closed-loop communication.
It means fewer handoffs, fewer delays, and greater clarity for patients and referring doctors alike. Dr. Vladana Babcic Tal describes the concept as a natural extension of how endodontists already practice.
“Integrated care is a very organic part of an endo practice… you’re calling, you’re referring doctors, so it felt very organic. Why would we not bring everything into one location to provide our patients with a seamless patient journey?”
As the model expanded, so did the scope of referrals. Increasingly, general dentists sent cases not with a narrow request, but with broader trust in the team’s ability to collaborate.
“The most common type of referral I get is the kind where every single specialist has circled, and it’ll say, ‘please evaluate everything.’”
What Changes for the Patient: One Visit, Multiple Options, Less Friction
A consistent theme across the Cameo team is that patients value speed and clarity, especially when they are in pain or facing high-stakes decisions.
Patients do not just want a referral. They want to know whether a tooth can be saved. If it cannot, they want to understand what replaces it and when. They want risks, costs, and sequencing explained clearly. And they want to know who is coordinating their care.
In the integrated model, many patients can receive multiple specialist perspectives without restarting the process elsewhere. Oral surgery partner Dr. Joseph Baptist sees this play out daily.
“Patients are surprised and appreciative of being able to get collaborative care in one visit, so they’re not taking multiple days off, driving to multiple offices.”
That efficiency translates directly into reduced anxiety, faster treatment, and a better overall experience.
What Changes for Clinicians: Collaboration Without Crossover
One of the most misunderstood aspects of integrated care is the concern around overlap. Periodontics and oral surgery both extract teeth and place implants. Without clarity, the model could feel competitive or confusing. At Cameo, the opposite proved true. Dr. Kate Quinlin, periodontics partner, describes how role clarity strengthened collaboration rather than eroding it.
“The immediate integration of the three specialties seemed just so organic. It was sort of finding my home in my own specialty as well. What’s my wheelhouse? The goal is to bring the patient in, put our heads together, and fix the problem.”
That “wheelhouse” philosophy becomes a practical operating system:
- Endodontics leads diagnosis and restorability
- Periodontics guides soft tissue, esthetics, and long-term stability
- Oral surgery manages complex surgical workflows and sequencing
Integrated care works because it is not shared procedures—it is shared clarity.
What Changes for the Referring Doctor: Fewer Handoffs, Stronger Follow-Through
The referring general dentist remains central to the patient’s long-term oral health. Integrated care supports that role by minimizing gaps in communication and reducing delays between diagnosis and resolution.
Even when handoffs occur internally, communication remains intentional.
“If a case comes in that gets sent on,” Dr. Quinlin explains, “there’s a phone call to the general dentist saying, ‘Is it okay if I get this? Can I send it over?’”
That consistency builds trust, especially in a model that may feel unfamiliar at first.
Why This Model Is Growing: A Better Answer to Modern Expectations
Dr. Rick Munaretto is clear: integrated care does not eliminate solo practice. But he believes more specialists will be drawn to models that reduce friction and improve patient experience.
“There’s always going to be a place for the solo practitioner, but more people are going to see what we’re doing and evolve with change.”
Dr. Quinlin agrees. Not every practice becomes multi-specialty overnight. But many can begin by integrating a second specialty thoughtfully.
“My hope is that integrated care becomes this snowball effect—being willing to take that risk, because the reward is incredible.”
The Takeaway: Integrated Care Is a Patient-First System Built by Doctor-First Collaboration
What makes Cameo’s integrated care story compelling is not co-location alone. It is the way the model emerged from real clinical frustration and was shaped collaboratively over time.
Dr. Rick Munaretto and Dr. Keith Sommers were among the earliest to identify friction points and begin building a better way years before the model had a formal name. Dr. Vladana Babcic Tal helped expand and articulate the model as a seamless, referral-friendly evolution of specialty care. Dr. Joseph Baptist and Dr. Kate Quinlin demonstrate how integrated care strengthens decision-making while preserving specialty expertise.
In the end, integrated care succeeds because it does what the traditional model struggles to do consistently. It gives patients clarity, clinicians collaboration, and referring doctors a smoother, more dependable path from diagnosis to resolution.