“I’ve known Dr. Jensen a long time, and when he was thinking about coming back and what his options were, we knew a trip to A-dec would help with the planning process and equipment decisions,” Plamann said. “It was very important to us to get the doctors operating ergonomically, especially because Dr. Jensen has been practicing for many years.”

Both Jensen and Carr wanted to overhaul the practice’s technology, but they didn’t want to overhaul the practice. The floor plan fit their needs and they didn’t have any desire to add space. So, without changing the floor plan at all, they decided to renovate. “We were fortunate in that we had initially developed a floor plan — in conjunction with Patterson, actually — that had worked incredibly well for 15 years,” Jensen said. “We didn’t see the need to change anything. There was never a moment where I said, ’I wish we could have … dot–dot–dot.’ That just didn’t happen.”

Adding technology was an adjustment for the doctors — but a good one. Carr said he’s already seen everything he does in dentistry evolve in a few years of practicing. For Jensen, it was literally a different world from when he started. “When I was in dental school, it was the pre–rubber glove era,” he said with a laugh. ”In some cases, it was stand–up dentistry. It’s a world of difference, both in terms of techniques and materials, but the bottom line is if you find a system that you’re comfortable with and is at the forefront of technology, you’re doing much better dentistry. It makes things possible that were previously unattainable, and it makes it all worthwhile.”

Though the practice’s footprint remained exactly the same, there were a few changes. Because the practice went paperless, for instance, there was no longer a need for a large file room. The space that was formerly dedicated to that became a “Zen room” in which patients could relax while waiting as crowns were milled by the CEREC machine brought into the practice. “While we didn’t change the walls, we were able to adapt our office in small ways that helped accomplish what we were going for,” Carr said. “We try to do a lot of things that make people more comfortable.”

Going paperless and bringing CEREC into the practice are two examples of another element that Jensen and Carr focused on: establishing a green practice. Being environmentally conscious is something that has long been close to Jensen’s heart, and he wanted the practice to reflect that.

“For the entire practice, we took a modern approach,” Jensen said. “A modern concept that you are seeing everywhere is communities going green. It is definitely the wave of the future. It’s something that carries through how I live at home, and I wanted it in the practice, too.”

Among the new technologies that helped them establish a greener practice are LED lights that reduce heat in the practice and thus reduce air–conditioning costs. Digital radiographs eliminate the need for chemicals, and non–disposable products, along with products that don’t pollute the environment, are used wherever possible. Green–certified flooring, no–VOC paint, and compostable paper cups for patients are also used. Even the CEREC greatly contributed to the green efforts. “The CEREC machine takes the place of impressions. It eliminates the travel time for patients and using gas to drive back and forth to the practice two or three times,” Jensen said. “It eliminates chair time and adds to efficiency in the office, and there’s no impression tray so there’s nothing to throw out.”