The doctors spent five months drafting and finalizing their business arrangement. Each is his own “corporation” and the two corporations own and operate the practice. Initially it was a lot of work, says Dr. Nolan, but it has paid off with a solid working relationship and no misunderstandings between the two.

The physical design of his new practice building was just as important to Dr. Eddleman as the floorplan and technologies inside. He and his wife sketched the building and had a draftsman put together the exterior plans using their drawing and photos of practices they liked.

Danny Grillot, the doctors’ Patterson Dental Territory Representative, introduced Dr. Eddleman to Equipment Specialist Doug Whittington, who had previously worked with Dr. Nolan. Whittington helped Dr. Eddleman determine the general size of the office and the number of operatories he wanted, and then narrow down the possibilities by sorting through a series of potential floorplans.

Dr. Eddleman considered the feedback he had received from other doctors who wished that they had built a larger space. On Whittington’s recommendation, he chose eight operatories but only outfitted six to begin with. Conduits for plumbing and electrical were laid in the foundation of all the operatories to streamline future installations.

The 3,400-square-foot space features a spacious waiting area for patients, including a kids’ play area, a private office for the front office business staff, and a two-car garage that leads directly into Dr. Eddleman’s office.

The interior design reflects the plantation-style look of the building’s exterior, thanks to the work of Dr. Eddleman’s wife. She infused the practice space with homey elements, like French doors, rugs and pillows, artwork, hardware on the doors and cabinets, and a color palette of warm tans, russet and gold.

While the design of the practice, both inside and out, is understatedly beautiful, the new equipment the doctors invested in shines brightly for all to see. The doctors agreed to equip the practice with all the bells and whistles at the same time they built, rather than in stages.

Dr. Eddleman talked to other doctors about their delivery preferences in their operatories and decided on rear delivery. “When a patient walks into the operatory, he sees the chair looking out the window, not drills or hoses,” he says. “The only doctors who didn’t like rear delivery were those who had a kind of homemade set-up and didn’t go with A-dec.”