Dr. Craig Spodak’s vision for the future of dentistry influenced every facet of his new practice in Delray Beach, Florida. Patterson Dental teams from across the Southeast U.S. came together to bring the unique facility to life.

If you’ve been to the doctor recently, and you went to a group practice, you might have noticed a trend: where once there were only exam rooms for doctors and nurses, now there is also an onsite lab, X-ray and pharmacy. If the practice is progressive, there might even be ophthalmology. You can go to one location and receive complete treatment for your medical concerns, often in one visit.

As a dental student at Tufts University, Dr. Craig Spodak was inspired by the idea that dentists also could provide complete care at one facility. He was excited by the way doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and the Mayo Clinic practiced: collaborating on cases, both casually – in passing one another in the hallways – and more formally, when a patient comes in for scheduled appointments with a variety of providers.

After graduating from Tufts with high honors in 1998, Dr. Craig joined his father, Dr. Myles Spodak, at his Delray Beach, Fla. practice. From the beginning, says Dr. Myles, his son was eager to fulfill his vision for a new form of dentistry. “Craig always had a lot of great ideas and had this dream of a multispecialty practice under one roof,” Dr. Myles said.

“When I started practicing, there was a cultural shift, where Target was putting groceries into their stores. People wanted efficiencies and patients were frustrated when I had to reappoint them out of the practice,” Dr. Craig said. “A coordinated treatment plan is difficult if a patient has to leave the office. They can get confused and it might be hard for them to assemble finances. … I thought a multispecialty practice was the way of the future.”

In 2006, Dr. Myles turned over the practice to his son and Dr. Craig began pursuing his vision, first by seeking specialists to join him. Dr. Tiffany Peterson was working in Key West, Fla., when Dr. Craig approached her. She shared his idea about providing comprehensive patient care in one facility and agreed to join Spodak Dental Group.

“From a residency standpoint, his vision [for comprehensive dental care] made sense. That’s how it works in a hospital,” Dr. Peterson said. She joined the practice in 2009, with Dr. Craig, Dr. Myles and several hygienists and other team members.