DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio: Celebrating 25 Years of Membership
By Danielle Wiseman, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio is more than just a dental office, it’s a full-service oral care studio that centers the patient’s needs above all else. Dr. Karen DiBona and Dr. Mark Scamardella are dedicated to providing Staten Islanders with the option of pain-free, high-quality dental care.
Both Dr. DiBona and Dr. Scamardella – now a married couple - knew early on that they would end up in dentistry. For Dr. DiBona, the sciences were everything; she decided that she would become a dentist her senior year of high school. “In high school I was a cheerleader, and a bunch of my cheerleader friends got jobs at a dental office in Brooklyn, where they were trained in dental assisting,” reminisces Dr. DiBona. “I started working there soon after, and I was able to see hands-on what dentistry was all about. I totally fell in love with it.”
Similarly, Dr. Scamardella was introduced to the world of dentistry through his family dentist, who encouraged him to explore the field after noticing Dr. Scamardella’s growing interest. Following the dentist’s advice, Dr. Scamardella started volunteering at Staten Island University Hospital’s Dental Care Center while attending college, which only solidified Dr. Scamardella’s decision to work with teeth.
“We both went through our residencies at NYU, and then we started working as associates for another dentist. We knew we wanted to go into private practice, but we also wanted to stay local on Staten Island,” says Dr. Scamardella. “A real estate opportunity arose at our present location, 646 Willowbrook Road, and we opened DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio shortly after in October 1992.”
Drs. DiBona and Scamardella first met at dental school in the 1980s, while they were attending the New York University College of Dentistry. They quickly bonded through their unwavering love of dentistry, started dating, and eventually got married and settled in Staten Island, Dr. Scamardella’s hometown.
It was only fitting that Dr. DiBona and Dr. Scamardella joined forces to create DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio, which just reached its thirty-year mark on Staten Island. When Drs. DiBona & Scamardella first purchased the property, they were tasked with designing a dental office from scratch. Luckily, Dr. DiBona’s father was a carpenter, and he was instrumental in transforming the studio to what it is today.
“We both worked part-time while creating the office, but we were very hands-on with the construction,” says Dr. DiBona. “I was finishing and staining the woodwork and helping my father put up the glass block, and if you look around the office now you’ll see that it’s all withstood the test of time.”
DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio treats patients of all ages with varying dental needs, ranging from cosmetic dentistry to implant dentistry. Dr. DiBona and Dr. Scamardella each have their own dental specialties, allowing them to see a larger, more diverse clientele. “As opposed to Dr. DiBona and I concentrating our efforts on the same types of procedures, we decided to become experts in different niches,” adds Dr. Scamardella. “Over the years, I’ve focused more on surgically advanced training, whereas Dr. DiBona prioritized cosmetic and restorative training, and sometimes we’ll even work together on a case.”
The key to DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio is the compassion that Drs. DiBona and Scamardella, and their dedicated staff, throw into their patients. Without fail, the team at DiBona & Scamardella listens to each patient’s needs and goes above and beyond to ensure that their patients are comfortable and cared for. “We see all different kinds of patients, from children to geriatric, but we definitely have a family-based practice,” adds Dr. DiBona. “We’ve been lucky enough to actually watch our patients’ families grow over time.”
In addition to serving Staten Island through their work, Drs. DiBona and Scamardella are also heavily immersed in the Staten Island community. The dynamic pair are involved in the VNA, the Boy Scouts, the Staten Island Rotary, the South Shore Rotary, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, and various other volunteer-based efforts across Staten Island.
This year, DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio is celebrating its 25th year with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce! Drs. DiBona and Scamardella first joined the Chamber in 1998, shortly after they opened the practice. “Joining the Chamber was an integral part of building up our name and our business,” says Dr. Scamardella. “Just like you need Con Edison and National Grid, you also need the Chamber.” Over the years, Drs. DiBona and Scamardella have been active participants of the Chamber, attending our events whenever they get a chance to step away from dentistry. In 2021, Drs. DiBona and Scamardella were honored with a Louis R. Miller Leadership Award.
We are excited to be celebrating so many successful years with DiBona & Scamardella Dental Studio, and we look forward to working together in the future.
