One of the goals of pediatric practices, and one of the biggest reasons Suggs and Wall love what they do, is educating and preparing children for lifelong oral hygiene. With that in mind, Suggs and Wall designed an office that would appeal to all ages of children, not just young ones.

"We didn't want the traditional pediatric office with lots of murals and lots of cartoon characters," Suggs said. "We didn't want to limit the age of patients. Sometimes older kids are more mature and not as comfortable in that environment. So we used color to appeal to everyone. Our goal is for kids and young adults to come here until they graduate from college and move on to their adult life."

The practice is dripping with color, from the walls and desks to a series of colored dots encouraging patients to hop down the hallway on their way to the operatory. In addition to color, the office design also focuses on natural light, with an entire wall of windows in the reception area. Suggs said the design was inspired by another building they saw, which the doctors then adapted to fit their needs and their space. "It's very contemporary, with bright colors everywhere, but it's not so contemporary that it's not comfortable," she said. "We have straight lines, we have curved lines. It's like walking into a Crayola store. That's sort of what we did with it. It's a color explosion."

Suggs and Wall decided on a U-shaped floor design to strike a balance between openness and privacy, while still enabling patient flow. An A-dec Educational Experience at A-dec headquarters in Newberg, Ore., gave them a chance to view different operatory spaces and choose the best fit for their practice. "We had a semi-open bay design in two of our offices, and we found there was a lack of privacy in discussing certain issues with our parents," Wall said. "With this design, there's nice high ceilings and still open access to the operatories, but we also have privacy. We used the cabinetry to help maintain a sense of privacy. It's essentially one large room, but it's separated. It just feels so much more comfortable for everyone."

The floor plan is also open enough that children can see other children getting treated, which can have a calming effect. Every conceivable angle was considered in establishing the floor plan, which Suggs said was easier due to the doctors' experience in moving practices. "It's the third office we've built," she said. "So, it's just like with a home. By the time you get to your third house, you know exactly what you want."