Amy Bowman

 about her prior dental office she answers with a chuckle, insisting that it’s a distant memory that she tries to forget.

The original owner had been in the space for more than 30 years when Dr. Roberts purchased it from him. She was left with a small and inefficient office with outdated equipment that was unreliable. Still, she had purchased the space in 2003 to open 

Dr. Roberts says that the size of the original space was the biggest issue -– small operatories made it difficult to get around the patient chair, with her doctor’s stool hitting the cabinetry when she tried to move. The cramped space made it difficult to store and organize supplies, requiring extra trips to other rooms. The result was that it required a lot of extra work to complete tasks and Dr. Roberts needed to see a chiropractor for neck, shoulder and back pain due to the lack of ergonomics.

Fortunately, she had a bigger plan. “I’m a visionary,” Dr. Roberts said. “I had a dream of building a bigger practice that would meet my needs.” In 2009, with the help of her Patterson representative and a local designer, Dr. Roberts made that dream a reality by leaving the old practice behind and building a new practice from the ground up.

The most important aspect of the new practice is the flow. Dr. Roberts wanted a layout that would make it easy to move through the space and work efficiently. She said the new space is organized in a way that makes tools and supplies handy and everything has its place. There is room for more than two people to walk down the hallway side by side, which Dr. Roberts said is important, especially in cases when extra room is needed for a wheelchair to get through.

The extra room allows for more cabinetry to organize supplies, more room for dental chairs and more patients. Dr. Roberts has increased her patient load and no longer has to refer patients to other practices. The new cabinetry and chairs were purchased after a visit to the A-dec facility in Oregon where testing out the chairs made choosing easy. Dr. Roberts said that programmability and various functions were perks but that choosing the most comfortable seating was her main priority. Now patients comment that they want to take the chairs home with them.

The results of the office update include a more comfortable work environment, happier and more efficient staff members, updated equipment that they can rely on and more patients. Best of all, the chiropractic appointments are hardly ever needed anymore.

“It’s so much easier,” Dr. Roberts said of the new office. “It’s easier to move around, we have the space to store things in each operatory, everything is in its spot and it’s more comfortable to work in.”

How striving for innovation has helped this practice provide superior patient care [VIDEO]

Dr. Roberts would tell other doctors considering a remodel to just do it. “It’s worth it,” she said. “You’re not getting any younger, so now’s the time. If you feel like it’s time, just do it.” Because of the increased patient volume, Dr. Roberts has hired an additional hygienist and would like to hire an associate eventually. “We try to keep up with the amount of patients we now have room for,” she said. “So an associate would be perfect.”

This article originally appeared in the August 2014 issue of Dental Products Report. For more great articles about products in action, click here to subscribe to 

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If you ask Erin Roberts, DDS, about her prior dental office she answers with a chuckle, insisting that it’s a distant memory that she tries to forget.

With a new office space, practicing dentistry is no longer a pain in the neck.

, is a Kansas dentist whose favorite part of dentistry is the patient interaction. 

“When you’re talking to a patient and helping them, there’s just not a better feeling,” he said. Dr. Heidebrecht strives to make every appointment as pain-free and enjoyable as possible. 

“When you do painless dentistry on someone who is really fearful of the pain factor, you can just see them start to relax in the chair and warm up. Each visit gets a little easier for them, eventually they become friends and they end up enjoying coming in,” he said. 

in Wichita, Kan., in 2006, Dr. Heidebrecht envisioned a spa-like atmosphere where he could practice dentistry his way. “I like to practice slow dentistry,” he said. “I like to really take time to educate patients about what they need. When I talk to them in terms they can understand, most people make really good decisions about how to fix and care for their teeth – not temporarily, but permanently.”

 helps Dr. Heidebrecht practice dentistry his way...

Dr. Heidebrecht’s philosophy is to provide his patients with the very best by remaining at the forefront of technology. For guidance, he turns to Patterson Dental equipment specialist Adam Halabi, who has helped him incorporate 

“I’m a CEREC dentist,” Dr. Heidebrecht said. “I enjoy that the most. When I built this practice in 2006, I limited my scope of dentistry to what I love to do – that way I’m happier and I give my patients better care.”

Dr. Heidebrecht limits his patient load to 3-6 patients a day and provides inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers and three-quarter crowns. He credits CEREC for giving him the capability to create any restoration he wants. 

Dr. Heidebrecht says that in the past he didn’t always get the kind of quality work that he wanted. Now that he has CEREC, he has more control of the process, doesn’t have to rely on anyone else, has many different color combinations to choose from and gets phenomenal restorations that look and fit great.

In January 2014, Dr. Heidebrecht sold the practice and is now looking forward to retirement when he can sleep past 5:30 a.m., stay active with people through volunteering and do some mountain climbing at his retirement home in Colorado.

Until then, he feels like he is doing everything he can to provide a good experience for patients. From the spa-like atmosphere, lemon-scented towels, fresh-made smoothies and gourmet coffee, to the high-quality technology, Dr. Heidebrecht wants the best for his patients and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Life is short. It passes quickly before your eyes,” he said. “To me, you might as well practice the way you want to practice and the way you know is best. I offer my patients the very best, and it’s made all the difference.”

Check out this blog about how CEREC helped Dr. Heidebrecht practice dentistry his way.

Mark W. Heidebrecht, DDS, is a Kansas dentist whose favorite part of dentistry is the patient interaction. 

How CEREC allows you to practice dentistry your way

	Kristen Burris, DDS, describes dentistry as a blessing that has given her the opportunity to provide a much-needed service in the small town of Shattuck, Okla., while being a part of patients’ lives. “We have celebrated with our patients over the years,” she said. “We watch them grow up, marry and have their own kids.”

As her patients’ lives have changed, so has Dr. Burris’. In fact, 10 years ago she didn’t know how she would continue practicing dentistry. “After a certain amount of years, there’s only so much excitement you get from placing a Class ?II amalgam,” she said. “Dentistry was getting boring and it wasn’t that I didn’t want to be in dentistry but I wanted to be excited about it again,” she explained.

It didn’t help that she was feeling overwhelmed by a patient load that she lacked the resources to handle. As the only dentist in the county, Dr. Burris was booked six months out and didn’t have the office space she needed. Not wanting to turn patients away or affect her staff members’ schedules, she rarely took time off. Dr. Burris knew she needed an associate but couldn’t imagine how she could attract a young dentist to 

 representative, he had a solution to the challenges she faced – an upcoming Mercer seminar focused on practice transition. Dr. Burris registered that day for the seminar, which ultimately was a turning point for her. “They talked about the investment you need to make to improve your practice, make it exciting for yourself and to recruit an associate. They described how new technology and being open-minded about updating the practice was the perfect way to do that,” she said.

Working with Mazza and Mercer Advisors, Dr. Burris began implementing changes including computers, intraoral cameras and digital X-rays in all operatories,? an expansion to the building and ?the purchase of a 

. Despite challenges adapting to the new technology, a CEREC Summit provided the guidance she needed. Now she can’t imagine practicing without it. “I have patients who drive two hours or more to get here, and to be able to complete a restoration in one appointment made it the perfect fit for my practice,” she said.

Interested in going paperless? Check out this video series.

The new technology has allowed Dr. Burris to perform services in an exciting new way and helped her recruit a dental school graduate in 2012. “Having an associate has? not only changed the practice, it’s changed my life,” she said. “For the first time, I can be away from the practice and not be worried. It has opened the door for my husband and I to take time off to visit family and to do things we haven’t ever been able to.”

It’s also allowed Dr. Burris to start making exit plans. She and her associate recently signed papers agreeing that he will take over the practice in four years. “My goal now is to help him be the best dentist he can be,” said Dr. Burris. “I want to prepare him to provide great patient care, to learn how to run the business and do the best dentistry possible.”

The byproduct of providing the best dentistry possible and focusing on excellent patient care was $1.7 million in production last year. “I never would have dreamt that this practice could grow to be what it is today,” said Dr. Burris. “With the help of my Patterson rep and Mercer, I feel like I’ve taken this and built it from nothing to a pretty impressive little practice and I’m really proud ?of that.”

To learn more about how Dr. Burris improved her practice, 

This article originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of Dental Products Report. For more great articles about products in action, 

click here to subscribe to DPR: http://bit.ly/17ocF5z

 Kristen Burris, DDS, describes dentistry as a blessing that has given her the opportunity to provide a much-needed service in the small town of Shattuck, Okla., while being a part of patients’ lives. “We have celebrated with our patients over the years,” she said. “We watch them grow up, marry and have their own kids.”