Office Spotlight
Dental Equipment & Materials, September, 2000
by Kevin Henry, Editor
"...and showing you one of the best dental offices in the nation
by taking you inside the walls of 21st Century Dental in Irving, Texas."
Photos by Brian Beard, Creative Images Photography
Combining
High-Tech With High-Touch
When more than 500 of your customers work at Microsoft, your office has
to be high-tech. But, for those 500+ patients to refer their friends and
coworkers to your practice, your office had better be high-touch as well.
This is the line that Dr. Kent Smith and Dr. Jeff Roy walk every day
at 21st Century Dental in Irving, Texas. They have not only survived on
the razor-thin line, they have thrived, molding the practice into an esthetically
pleasing, technology-filled office.
“When part of your patient base works at Microsoft, and part of
your patient base works at Verizon, those patients are going to know what
high-tech options are out there for dentists,” Dr. Smith said. “Having
a computer chairside and having digital radiography in the office is a
must.”
Smith, who began practicing in 1985, is the leader of the 3,500-square-feet
office located in a Dallas suburb not far from Texas Stadium, home of
the Dallas Cowboys. His fascination with technology and his drive for
complete patient comfort combine into what he calls “stealth dentistry.”
Let’s take a look at two important facets of 21st Century Dental
— equipment and esthetics.
Equipment
“When I look at equipment purchases, I don’t look at the cost
because I don’t want that to be the driving force behind the purchase,”
Dr. Smith explained. “I want to know what will service my patients.
We want to portray high-tech dentistry without portraying the profession
of dentistry. The less that people see involving dentistry before they
sit in my chair, the more relaxed they are.”
That
means you won’t see a patient-education video playing on the 42-inch
flat-screen plasma monitor hanging in the lobby. Before-and-after smile
photos aren’t displayed, and cosmetic dentistry pamphlets and books
aren’t lying on the coffee table. In their place, CNN plays on the
television screen and only the latest general interest magazines are available
for reading.
“I call it ‘stealth dentistry’ because we want to confuse
the patient into not thinking about dentistry,” Dr. Smith smiled.
“It’s spa dentistry,” said Dr. Roy, who began working
at the office as an associate in 1999. “We will cater to the customer
with things like warm towels and milkshakes because there are patients
who really enjoy that type of service.”
Yes, milkshakes are served after long, difficult procedures, and massage
mats are installed in all of the dental chairs for the patient’s
comfort, but Dr. Smith knows that even the best pampering won’t keep
patients if the dentistry work is considered subpar or archaic.
“Dentistry is changing so fast. A dentist has to be aware of the
new technology, new pieces of equipment, and new materials that are available,”
Dr. Smith said. “Without question, keeping up with technology has
been a big part of the success of this practice. If I know about a new
product before my patients know about it, I can do the research and be
prepared to answer their questions. That’s a big advantage for me
in their eyes.”
A perfect example of Dr. Smith’s research came recently when he
first learned of the Comfort Control Syringe (CCS) from DENTSPLY Midwest.
A big proponent of online dental forums and bulletin boards, Dr. Smith
had heard about the CCS on the Genr8TNext and Internet Dental Forum (IDF)
sites. He read the reviews and learned about the product and was prepared
when his Patterson sales representative dropped by with a CCS representative.
“After reading all of the reviews, I was planning on trying one
for myself when my Patterson rep walked through the door with the CCS
salesman,” Dr. Smith recalled. “They started explaining the
differences between the CCS and other anesthesia products, and I stopped
them. I started explaining some of the differences to them, and they were
shocked. Yes, I even try to stay ahead of my sales rep if I can. I asked
if he could leave the CCS with me for 30 days to try. He did, and 10 days
later, I called him and told him I wanted to buy two.”
“Both
of us are really into technology,” Dr. Roy added. “Our patients
expect us to have cutting-edge equipment and technology. When we introduced
the CCS to our patients, it didn’t surprise them that we had it in
our office because we have the reputation of being cutting-edge. But having
the newest whistle isn’t everything. If our research shows it won’t
make our patient’s experience more comfortable, we won’t get
it.”
The CCS is just one of the pieces of high-tech equipment scattered throughout
21st Century Dental, as Dr. Smith explains.
Air abrasion — “We didn’t want a tall machine that wasn’t
portable and had a long vacuum hose. We bought the PrepStar from Danville
Engineering. It’s small, portable, and easy to work with.”
Intraoral camera — “We purchased the DigiDoc because it was
small, portable, and had a high-tech look to it. Those are qualities we
like to have in our equipment.”
Chairside computers — “Having computers so close to the patient
may be one of the biggest reasons for our success. There are so many things
you can show to your patients. Without computers, I think our office productivity
would plateau.”
DIAGNOdent — “This product is close to the top of the list,
in my opinion. Anything that can aid in the early diagnosis of decay is
a wonderful thing to have in the office.”
Another factor in Dr. Smith’s equipment selections is his preference
for using a rear delivery system.
“I think our environment lets our patients know that we are high-tech.
I don’t think we have to display all of our equipment to prove that
to them. We use some cabinetry by A-dec behind the patient,” he said.
“I’m an advocate for the rear delivery system. Yes, it requires
more twisting on my part, but patient perception is very important to
me. I don’t want them seeing pieces of dental equipment that might
alarm them. That drives some of our purchasing decisions.”
As mentioned earlier, Dr. Smith relies heavily on dental Web sites for
information on new equipment and materials. Once he is ready to purchase
the equipment, he shops around to find the best financing arrangement.
His recent equipment purchases have come through a local financing company,
which offered him a better rate than local banks.
While Dr. Smith may use the computer to make some of his buying decisions,
he is also finding the Internet to be a tremendous marketing tool for
his practice. Numerous patients have learned more about 21st Century Dental
through its Web site (www.21stcenturydental.com), and many have been drawn
to visit the office in person after visiting it on the Web.
“Since last year, I would say our Web site has been the number-one
thing to propel us forward,” Dr. Smith said. “I think, in the
near future, having a Web site will be mandatory for dentists.”
However, the practice’s Web site does more than just cover the mandatory
hours and location information. Rotating images of professional photographs
taken within the office, along with detailed information on services and
staff biographies that are written to put a smile on your face, draw interest
from Internet surfers and potential patients.
“We recently had a patient come to our office who was a Webmaster
for his company,” Dr. Smith explained. “He wasn’t going
to ask his friends for a reference or find a dentist in the phone book.
He was going to use the Internet to find a dentist. He found our site
and made an appointment. One of the first things he told me was that our
Web site made it look like we cared more about the customer. That’s
a wonderful compliment.”
Dentists from around the world have visited 21st Century Dental via the
Internet. Remarks have been left on the site’s guest book from Australia,
the Netherlands, and Canada, as well as from throughout the United States.
Office
Esthetics
When Dr. Roy first came to the practice in 1999, he fell in love with
the office. To his amazement, he was soon told that it would be remodeled.
“My dentist’s office back home was nothing like this, and then
they told me about the remodeling,” Dr. Roy recalled. “I was
scared for them to remodel.”
One of the reasons for the remodeling effort was the tremendous boom
in patients. It’s a good problem to have, but it was one that Dr.
Smith knew needed to be addressed quickly.
Located on the first floor of the Cottonwood Medical and Dental Center,
21st Century Dental expanded from six to nine operatories, all the while
staying open and seeing patients.
“We never closed. It was crazy, but we never were forced to stop
seeing patients,” Dr. Smith recalled.
When the new offices of 21st Century Dental opened, an era of “spa
dentistry” had begun in Irving.
An open business office and reception desk greets patients as they walk
through the front door. A reception area, complete with beverage center
and a 42-inch plasma monitor for cable TV, DVDs, or videos, is the focal
point of the front office. Also included in the front room is a saltwater
coral reef aquarium and a commissioned fresco that proclaims the philosophy
of the practice. Glass blocks line the office, and warm cookies and fresh
flowers give 21st Century Dental a wonderful smell.
“I want these people to walk into our office and say ‘Wow.’
I want them to think they have never been to a dental office like this,”
Dr. Smith said. “This is a transitional, high-tech area of the Metroplex
(Dallas-Fort Worth area). A lot of our patients are in their 20s or 30s
and work around here. They don’t come to see us and then go home.
They go back to work. I want them to go back to work talking about us
and our office.”
As important as the look of the office is to Dr. Smith and Dr. Roy, the
staff is even more critical.
“I want one of the first things that a new or existing patient sees
when he or she walks through our front door is a big smile,” Dr.
Smith said. “If you have a grouch at the front desk, the patient
will remember that. First impressions are so important, both in your staff
and the looks of your office.”
“I have received referrals from other dental offices because of
the presentation of our office,” Dr. Roy added. “Some people
have called this ‘spa dentistry,’ and, if something is like
a spa, people are going to want to be a part of it.”
Spa dentistry and stealth dentistry have combined to make better, comfortable
dentistry for the 634 patients who walk through the doors of 21st Century
Dental each month.
“One thing I always hear is that patients aren’t comfortable
going to the dentist’s office,” Dr. Smith said. “Whether
it’s the fear of a shot, the sound of a drill, the smell of the office,
or a fear that something isn’t sterile in the office, there are a
lot of things that play a part in a patient’s discomfort. We’ve
tried to eliminate all of those factors, and add some other things, to
make this a comfortable place to be.”
