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Some dentists are known for their chairside manner. Other dentists are known for the terrifying sound of their drills. Dr. Daniel Vasti, Montauk’s only dentist, is known for his hands—they’re big.
“Maybe if he had smaller hands, he’d have more patients,” quipped the outspoken George Watson, the owner of the Dock restaurant, after learning that Dr. Vasti will be honored on November 12 as the Montauk Chamber of Commerce’s Man of the Year.
In a town with no apparent shortage of big mouths, Dr. Vasti’s hands would seem to fit right in.
Dr. Vasti, who will turn 64 in May, said in a recent interview that he was “honored and surprised” when he first learned that he would be recognized and said he considered it a “lifetime achievement” award.
John Keeshan, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, said he believed Dr. Vasti had earned the distinction, pointing out that Dr. Vasti had “stayed home to serve his neighbors and friends” and in the process became “a part of the fabric that is Montauk.”
The Vasti family has been a part of the Montauk community since 1939, when Dr. Vasti’s grandfather arrived from the Bronx as a summer resident. Dr. Vasti grew up in the Bronx himself and spent his childhood summers in Montauk.
After graduating from Villanova University in 1968 and then Creighton University Dental School in Omaha, Nebraska, Dr. Vasti practiced in Connecticut before opening his own dental office in Montauk in 1975.
His office is in a simple building off Main Street that from the outside looks more like a home, behind another Montauk landmark, Pizza Village, which his parents, Daniel Sr. and Anne, owned and operated for many years.
Dentistry became a way for Dr. Vasti to run his own business while at the same time helping those around him. Working in a seasonal seaside community has exposed him to odd situations, he said, pointing out that he has dealt with everything from dental emergencies among surfers who were hit in the mouth by their boards to those who came in for treatment of the aftereffects of the occasional barroom fight.
Despite the economic cycles of a tourism-driven economy that sometimes made Dr. Vasti worry that he might just be one dentist too many in a one-dentist town, four generations of Montaukers have come to rely on him.
Besides having the reputation of always being available for his patients, Dr. Vasti is known for having that unusually large set of hands—hands that might scare some patients. But Hector Ramirez, a patient who said he went to Dr. Vasti for a particularly difficult extraction, said, “for a man with big hands he’s very gentle.” Another patient, Nancy Keeshan, described him as a “gentle giant.”
Dr. Vasti, who said he has always tried to better himself, began weekend classes at the University of Bridgeport, culminating in a Master of Science degree in nutrition. Originally, he said he hoped to open a separate practice, but time constraints prevented that, so he uses his knowledge to complement his dental practice and in his own life.
During his time in Montauk he has been active in the community, recently becoming the longest standing member of the Montauk Point Lions Club, an organization his grandfather helped found. As a Lion, Dr. Vasti has played a role in projects ranging from the awarding of college scholarships to the training of seeing-eye dogs, and most recently the installation of a handicapped access ramp at the home of a local child.
He and his wife Barbara raised two children, Dan III and Michael. And though both sons are now grown, Dr. Vasti remained an important part of the Montauk Youth Association until only a few years ago. Montauk School Superintendent Jack Perna, who is Dr. Vasti’s cousin, said his family always thought him to be “the perfect father [and] one of the most honest men.”
Beginning in his days at Villanova, Dr. Vasti played the physically demanding and often vicious sport of rugby until the age of 45. He played without a mouth guard in college, but after becoming a dentist, he took to wearing one until he finished his playing career with the Montauk Rugby Football Club.
East Hampton Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson will issue a proclamation celebrating Dr. Vasti’s achievements, which will be presented to him at a dinner in his honor at Gurney’s Inn at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 12. The night will include an open bar, dinner and live entertainment. Tickets can be purchased for $75 at the Montauk Chamber of Commerce.
