There are significant changes at almost every turn in the new practice, almost all of them for the better. But that doesn’t mean it was easy along the way. Working closely with her Patterson team, Lazaar made decisions about what she’d invest in, what could wait until later, and what she didn’t need. Ultimately, it came down to one thing for Lazaar: this is where she is going to practice for the rest of her career.

“I wanted to invest in my office because this is it until the point that I retire,” she said. “I felt this is the time to go ahead and take the jump and I’m not afraid of doing it. I wanted to get the best equipment and the best technology that was available. I just went for it.”

That included the Planmeca ProMax pan, which has already made a big impact on Lazaar’s practice. Patients love that they can see what the dentist is seeing, and see it in great detail. Plus, she said she’s taken advantage of its quality extraoral photography to help with children or patients who have a sensitive gag reflex.

“I think that most of my patients cannot believe what they’re looking at,” she said. “They walk in and I see their jaws just drop. It’s nice and new and modern, and it has exceeded almost all of their expectations. We spent a lot of time working out the details and thinking a lot about how things would look and how they would feel to the patients. Those are the things they notice. I hear a lot about the details, which is wonderful.”

It’s not just the patients who notice the difference in the practice, though. For Lazaar, it has reinvigorated her love of dentistry and reminded her why she loves to practice.

“I truly enjoy being there. I drive to work in the morning and I am smiling and think I am so excited to go to work. I’m not lying!” she laughs. “I really think that. It’s about being able to show people that I really care and I’m trying to give them the best dentistry possible. I see their reaction and it’s priceless. I’m just smiling now all day long.”