The reception area at the new Kersenbrock Dental Care, PC, is much more
open – thanks, in large part, to a space that’s about three times larger than at the old office. Dr. Mary said the reception area and a comforting color scheme throughout the office contribute to a much less clinical feel, which she’s noticed making a positive impact on patients.

"Plus, I have windows. And I’m not talking about the computer system," Dr. MJ said. "At the old office I had the front window and that’s it. Our office now, I’m very happy with how it turned out. And I credit Patterson. Steve Kampschnieder sure helped me a lot."

It was Kampschnieder who recommended another design element that helped define the entire office, Dr. MJ said. While discussing the layout of the operatories, Kampschnieder suggested a two-operatory pod system in which a center console and chair are flanked on either side by a shared X-ray unit.

"That’s really what drove the whole clinic portion," Dr. MJ said. "I had ideas and we worked really well together. He would say, ‘I understand what you’re saying and I think I have an idea of how we can do it.’"

In all, Dr. MJ decided to build a seven-operatory office. Five chairs were installed during the initial build and when Dr. Mary joined the practice in December 2010, they added a sixth chair. It may not be long before they’re ready for the seventh.

"One day last week, we could have used that room," Dr. Mary said. "When the need arises, we’ll have the space there."

While they were deciding on equipment and cabinetry, the doctors traveled with their Patterson representatives to A-dec’s headquarters in Newberg, Ore. There, they watched the assembly process and checked out the entire product line before making an educated decision on which equipment they preferred. They selected the A-dec 500 Series and A-dec Decade Series chairs based on comfort and style. Their patients like them, too.

"I have a lot of patients who sit in the chair and say, ‘Wow, this is comfortable,’ and I say, ‘Good. Open up,’" Dr. Mary laughed. "But those chairs go along with the atmosphere we wanted: a place people go and not feel so nervous and rigid. Our chairs are nice and plush."

The new office also features a prominent sterilization center, which is a centerpiece of the clinic. Sterilization centers can tend to be a bottleneck anyway, and with twice as many operatories now, the doctors needed a streamlined system in place.

"I had to lean on Steve Kampschnieder for that," Dr. MJ said. "This is a different flow pattern. At the old office you sometimes had people trying to reach over you at the sink. It just wasn’t very efficient. The new sterilization center just fits."