“There were some other doctors in my building at the time that had ventured out and lost it all,” Pinedo said. “I was very hesitant and I wasn’t sure it was something I wanted to take a risk on. But as I started looking and playing with the numbers I started to realize: I can do this. I got more serious about my search and found this space, which was originally a law firm. Its location was the best and I knew if I didn’t grab it when I did, it was going to be a lot more expensive.”

With Patterson Equipment Specialist Dave Groce’s help, Pinedo started to make a plan for converting the space into a state-of-the-art dental office. Groce said the team needed to get creative during the process, opening up a shear wall and relocating a steel building beam to improve patient and staff flow.

The new space would be a leap for Pinedo and her staff. Though it was only two miles from her previous space, it was in a smaller business condo development, not the large medical building they were used to. There were perks to that, but Pinedo wanted to make sure she was able to move her staff and patients alike to the new space.

“I started to look at the team I had at the time and started preparing them for the big move,” she said. “First, I had to make sure they wanted to join me. I worked with a consultant to improve my web presence and to get my team ready for the move. It’s so important to retain your patients from the course of time that could be up to nine months when you finally make the move.”

Like all practice owners who start to furnish a new space with a clean slate, Pinedo had to ask herself about what she wanted her practice to look like, and what kind of feeling she wanted it to convey to her patients. “I definitely did not want to have the typical cabinetry you see that looks like an old-school dental office,” she said. “I wanted to avoid the traditional look and go for the modern, spa-like practice. Most of all, it had to be something that would look good and make my patients feel comfortable.”