Night and day difference
Once Healthy Smiles' floor plan was nailed down, Dr. Roberts started thinking about her operatory equipment. She entered a photo of one of her run-down operatories into A-dec's 2009 Treatment Room Makeover Contest and was one of 50 doctors awarded an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to A-dec's headquarters in Newberg, Ore. Mazza and Robinson accompanied Dr. Roberts on the trip to assist her in making equipment selections.
At the A-dec facility, Dr. Roberts test-drove an array of chairs and operatory configurations. She decided to equip six of her 10 operatories with A-dec 511 chairs and Radius delivery units. Alternating divider walls and A-dec central consoles, which conserve space and add more functionality, separate her eight semi-private operatories. Two private surgical operatories — one at each end of the curved hall — are completely walled off and have doors. "The trip helped her see all of the possibilities," said Robinson.
Dr. Roberts' spacious A-dec Preference ICC Sterilization Center is a sharp contrast to her prior practice's tiny and unorganized sterilization area. "It has made a night and day difference in terms of functionality," said Dr. Roberts.
Letting technology shine
Dr. Roberts had previously invested in technology in her old office — computers in the operatories, digital X-rays, a Sirona GALILEOS cone beam system and CEREC — but its full potential was limited by the building's shortcomings.
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In her new practice, Dr. Roberts' technology shines. Previously, patients were forced to crane their necks to view images on the monitor behind them, but today, Dr. Roberts and her staff are able to show patients their cone beam and X-ray images along with CAESY patient education presentations on flat panel televisions displayed on A-dec overhead monitor mounts. "Now, we can pull the monitor close to them and engage them," said Dr. Roberts.
Dr. Roberts had used Dentrix practice management software in the past but switched to Eaglesoft because its capabilities better aligned with her goal of going paperless in the new practice. "When we were thinking about going paperless, we compared Eaglesoft to Dentrix and it seemed to have a broader range of capabilities," said Dr. Roberts. Healthy Smiles also uses many of Eaglesoft's eServices to save staff precious time.
For the new office, Dr. Roberts upgraded her CEREC® 3D to CEREC® AC powered by Bluecam. In her reception area, she added two enclosures with glass panes for her MC XL milling unit, where patients can watch crowns being milled. She plans to add an additional MC XL milling unit in the future. "Dr. Roberts knows CEREC is going to be integral to her office, so we incorporated two milling unit displays into the building design," said Robinson.
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