Ultimately, he worked with his Patterson Dental team to help him find answers to those questions and more. The team decided on a two-phase construction, in which the first phase would consist of Andre operating out of the current structure while it was expanded upon.

For the second phase, Andre’s equipment would be transferred and set up in a separate consult room and business office in the newly completed space. There, the spaces would be outfitted as operatories and he would continue to operate normally, while the building’s original structure was renovated and connected to the new structure. It wasn’t a simple process, said Patterson Dental Equipment Specialist Blake Kelsey. But it was worthwhile.

“One of the key components we always focus on is ‘What is the dentist’s vision?’” Kelsey said. “With Silver Lake Dental, we took a look at the lay of the land and looked at how much room we had to create that vision. We looked at what those first few steps will be and it grew from there. We help create that vision, because we really want to show there’s long-term loyalty working together. It’s not just a job.”

With the Patterson team backing the decision to build in Andre’s current location, it was time to get to work. Susan Nagel, dental office space designer for Patterson, had her work cut out for her. Not only did she have to design a practice that fit the tightly restricted space, she also had to do it while factoring in temporary plumbing fixtures to accommodate the makeshift operatories in the new space.

By all accounts, Nagel’s design was a success. The two phases went off without a hitch - thanks to a vigilant construction team that worked closely with Andre throughout the process. All told, the practice was only shut down for about two weeks, between both the transitional move and the final move. “It took a lot of quarterbacking,” Andre said, “but it worked out amazingly.”

Phased construction aside, Andre had a great idea about how he wanted the exterior of his practice to look when it was finished. A general store just a few miles away, in Andre’s hometown of North Reading, Mass., provided the inspiration. “I wanted to keep with the New England feel,” he said. “When we built a new office, I have a place in my own hometown, where we have a really nicely done old country store. I wanted to keep that feeling reminiscent of the New England area - a front porch breezeway, traditional colors and a tall roof pitch.”