Shatkin FIRST has expanded in Amherst, bolstered by growth in popularity for a patented technique widely used by dentists.

The business, owned by Dr. Todd E. Shatkin, has expanded into renovated space at 2495 Kensington Ave. It employs about 40 people and continues to grow, Shatkin said.

Shatkin FIRST is short for “fabricated implant restoration and surgical technique.” Shatkin developed the technique with his late father, a plastic and maxillofacial surgeon. It allows for a single tooth or multiple teeth to be replaced in one visit, a less costly procedure that also shortens patients’ recovery time.

“It’s grown tremendously, and dentists are using it everywhere,” Shatkin said.

Shatkin has been practicing since 1989 with his brother, who is a plastic surgeon, at Aesthetic Associates Centre for Plastic Surgery and Dentistry, at 2500 Kensington Ave. But the Shatkin FIRST business had outgrown the space needed to produce and ship restorations, leading to the acquisition of the space across the street.

Shatkin estimated the cost of the acquisition and upgrades at about $1 million. Meanwhile, some space at 2500 Kensington Ave. is being upgraded to create an educational facility, where more than 50 dentists can be trained in Shatkin’s mini-implants technique at the same time. That project is expected to be completed next month.

Shatkin said the new educational facility will allow him to bring more dentists to Buffalo to be trained, which will cut down on his own travel schedule. “It helps the Western New York economy because we are bringing more people to Buffalo.”

mglynn@buffnews.comnull