Father and son join hands to practice leading-edge dentistry
Located in the heart of downtown Iowa Falls, Iowa—population 5,435—is Iowa Falls Family Dentistry. Floor-to-ceiling windows welcome patients with sunshine, where they're treated with special care and state-of-the-art equipment. "It's a happy place to work in; it's open, light and bright, and I think the new high-tech equipment helps patients feel relaxed," said the practice's founder, Dr. Craig Miller.

The new facility was completely equipped by Patterson, from the treatment centers to EagleSoft software. Dr. Miller has worked with Patterson Equipment Specialist Jon Branson since he graduated from dental school and opened his first practice 26 years ago. "Working with Dr. Miller from the beginning of his career has been incredibly rewarding," said Branson. "And it was great to see his son, Dr. J. Brad Miller, join the practice last year and to help them realize their vision for a new facility."

Located just a block and a half away from their original office, the Millers couldn't pass up the chance to lease a space in the new Iowa Falls Family Health Center. "They were able to get in during the early stages of planning, giving us open reign to design an office to fit their unique needs," said Branson.

For the Millers, it was the perfect opportunity to increase their space and upgrade equipment at the same time.

Special considerations, special design
"It was a challenge laying out the space because it was designed for two levels, but with Patterson's Auto-Cad capabilities, it didn't take long to create an effective floor plan," said Dr. Miller. "Jon's hard work, expertise in equipment, and intuitive insight are unsurpassable." The new practice is 3,400 square feet, almost double the size of their old office. The health center actually increased their square footage slightly to accommodate the Millers' needs. For convenience, both floors are accessible from the outside. Patients enter the office upstairs at street level, where the reception area and operatories are located. The lower level opens out to the parking lot level, where there's a staff entrance with direct access to their locker room and lounge, private offices and mechanical room.

Dr. Miller is right-handed and his son is left-handed—so one of the main considerations when designing the new space was that both dentists could work comfortably and efficiently in all operatories. "All of the equipment was designed to be switched from right- to left-handed use within seconds," explained Dr. Miller.

High-tech and ambidextrous
First, Biotec treatment centers and divider units were configured to fit their special needs, truly making all seven operatories ambidextrous. The Millers adopted an open office concept, making each operatory slightly larger for maximum accessibility—including entries on both right and left sides. Central units were custom ordered with additional counter space on each side, so both dentists can function within a comfortable range.

Operatories were upgraded with Reveal intraoral camera systems, which are integrated with the practice's new EagleSoft software. Each operatory features a computer terminal and two monitors—one at the base of the chair for the patient to observe and one for the dentist to enter chart information. "Now we do all our charting and patient records on the computer," said Dr. Miller. "We like it because we can do entries chairside, and it's great for patient treatment and education."

Dr. Miller said he also added air abrasion because it's much more gentle and less sensitive than a traditional handpiece. "It works well and is very applicable to the new composite bonding systems," he said. The Cerec 2 is making an impact on the practice, and Dr. Miller enjoys providing his patients with the latest technology. "Patients are always interested in the new high-tech equipment, and I think they're impressed when you stay up-to-date and ahead of the field," he said.

A staff favorite is the Triangle Steri-Center. "It has a well-organized design, making the sterilization process so much easier," said Dr. Miller. "It's highly efficient and actually fun to operate—keeping up with the instruments and cassettes is no problem for the staff."

A great success
Branson worked closely with the practice's architect and contractors throughout the process. "Construction went really well, and stayed on schedule," said Dr. Miller. "The Patterson team made the installation quick, easy and extremely efficient."

Dr. Miller is proud to have his son practicing by his side and to have the good fortune to nearly double their office space in a high-traffic medical clinic. "With a new dentist and a new location, we've increased our patient flow," he said. The project, from beginning to end, has been a great success. "Patterson's excellence and expertise in each area of our office planning were so detailed and complete, I couldn't believe it," said Dr. Miller. "The one shining constant was their never-ending customer service and loyalty to our project."