The Best of Both Worlds
When long-time Northridge, Calif. dentist, Alan Stein DDS decided to move to a new office, he wanted the best of both worlds in his updated space: quality equipment and leading-edge technology.
Dr. Stein’s Patterson Equipment Specialist Bob Mothershead was able to help him achieve both goals in his new seven operatory, 2,700-square-foot practice. “I decided with this office that if I went with the highest level of operatory equipment that I would have to pass on other pieces of equipment that I wanted. Bob said, ‘We have a whole line of equipment. I can show you something that is good and comfortable that will save you money,’” said Dr. Stein.
Dr. Stein met with Mothershead at the California Dental Association (CDA) meeting in Anaheim in May 2009. There, Mothershead showed Dr. Stein the array of equipment manufacturers he could select from. Dr. Stein was immediately impressed with both the aesthetics and functionality of Royal Dental Group’s operatory chairs and Biotec cabinetry. “I said, ‘Give me one of those and one of those,’” said Dr. Stein. “It was really simple to select my equipment and Bob was a great resource.”
Room to Grow
For the past 30 years, Dr. Stein provided dental care in a solo practice across the street from Northridge Hospital. He built up a solid patient base over the years, but as technology marched on, he realized that his practice wouldn’t be able to grow the way he wanted in the existing space. “His practice was run down and his growth was stymied because his office would not allow him to grow,” said Mothershead.
Still wanting to stay near the hospital, which is where many of his patients work, Dr. Stein kept his eye on a building adjacent to the hospital for available suites. When one became vacant, Dr. Stein jumped on it. But he needed a dental supplier to help him transform the suite into a dental practice. Dr. Stein turned to Mothershead and Patterson Office Designer Robin Janowksi after hearing praise about them from several friends. “The people who were the happiest said they worked with Bob and Robin,” he said. “I couldn’t have built this without them. They were the highlight of the whole experience.”
Janowski and Mothershead worked with Dr. Stein to help him create his new floor plan. “I took a suite that was totally inappropriate for dentistry, but Robin and Bob came out and they looked at the floor plan, and designed it from the ground up,” he said. “I told them what I was looking for and they said, ‘No problem.’”
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In his new floor plan, Dr. Stein made sure to add small touches that would make patients more comfortable – a consultation room for meeting and greeting, and windows at the front desk to allow for private conversations between staff and patients. Nine-foot ceilings in the operatories help the space feel open and airy, while diffusing noise.
Dr. Stein equipped five of his hygiene operatories with Royal chairs and Biotec cabinetry. In his largest operatory, which is reserved for lengthier procedures, Dr. Stein selected a Forest Dental chair because he felt it provided a little extra comfort for his patients. “I was able to equip different rooms for different functions, plus I was able to afford the other equipment that I wanted,” said Dr. Stein. His seventh operatory is currently empty, but he plans to equip it in the future.
As part of his office redesign, Dr. Stein changed the configuration of his operatories from right-hand delivery, to over-the-patient delivery for himself, and rear delivery for assistants. “It has helped with comfort,” he said. “And at some point I will bring in an associate, and you never know if you’ll have a right- or left-handed associate, so I’m set. This way you just roll the units around and switch places.”
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