Lazaar thought about remodeling the space she had been in previously, which she shared with another doctor, because her patients were comfortable there and it had potential. After some consideration, she decided it was best to look for a new location. Early on, she had little luck in her search.

Then she found the perfect spot just outside San Jose, in Los Gatos. “We fell in love at first sight,” she said of her first visit to the space. “It was just a regular office space, but honestly, it all came to me when I first walked in. I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew the operatories needed to go against the windows; I knew I wanted the waiting area to look like a living room, welcoming and comfortable. I just knew it, I saw it right before my eyes when I walked in.”

Though she had identified a space, Lazaar still hadn’t identified a partner to help her through the construction process. She hadn’t worked extensively with Patterson Dental, but had heard good things about the company’s ability to help dentists build the practice of their dreams.

"She came into Patterson and it didn’t take long to discover that we shared the same philosophy,” said Patterson Equipment Specialist Stan Sitzmann, who helped Lazaar build Smiles by Design but has since retired. “We told her that our main aim is to take care of the customer. If you want to be taken care of for years to come, you need someone who will be there for you. Any future problems are our problems, together.”

Lazaar recognized the same connection to Patterson’s philosophy, and Sitzmann started working closely with her to help her bring her dream practice to life. He helped connect her with trusted contractors and other local dental office experts, then shared project management duties with her husband, Sam, to ensure that all issues during the construction project were addressed swiftly.

“First of all, I could really tell that they cared,” Lazaar said of her decision to start working with Patterson at one of the most important points of her career. “That was a huge part of it. I didn’t feel that other competitors cared. You have perceptions and you can tell when people really care, and Patterson wanted me to be successful not just in the new practice process but throughout my career. They wanted things to work out for the best for me.”