Absolute Dental - Las Vegas, NV | Patricia Prada, DDS
Absolute Dental is a large dental network, and a dominant force in the Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada, dental markets, with 25 locations. Recently, this 20-year old company has been updating and rebranding each of its offices to create welcoming, bright beacons that will attract new customers, provide efficient service, and incorporate fully digital cutting-edge technologies. Henry Schein Field Sales Consultant Diane Zurko has worked with Absolute Dental from the very beginning, and she was intimately involved when they built a new office this year to replace one of their original flagship locations.
Absolute Dental is a lesson in the power of rebranding a dental practice. A crisp, modern design along with high-tech equipment in a new location has helped the practice lower its overhead and increase its patient load.
Dr. Patricia Prada is the primary owner of the dental network. She has worked as a dentist with the company since 2004. When a private equity firm purchased the network and wanted to create new ownership alongside a local dentist, she explains there was no easier decision than to become a partner in the company and with the colleagues with whom she loved working. She then entrusted Joey Olmstead, Director of Practice Development, with the development and implementation of a total rebranding for all of the offices. He developed a comprehensive template that was applied to all of the offices.
The Pelton & Crane Spirit 1700 chairs with chair-mounted lights and delivery units met the practice's objective of a high function, contemporary look and the promise of longevity.
Many locations were remodeled to align with the new vision, and three were newly built from the ground up, including two in Reno and one in Las Vegas on Charleston Street, a growing area with few dental clinics.
Flagship Office Rebuilt To Showcase New Vision
The new Charleston Street location replaced an office built in 2009. The decision was made to build from the ground up at a different site that was highly visible on a busy corner instead of renovating the existing space. This allowed the practice to expand into a larger 3,500 square-foot footprint with bigger operatories and easier patient access. The larger office also provides specialty services and doctors under one roof. The practice offers general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery. Construction was completed in just four months from the time the office space was leased and floor plans drawn up.
“They created a palette for the practice as a whole that is amazing,” said Mrs. Zurko. “You are surrounded by the Absolute Dental branding from the minute you walk in. The new tagline is, ‘All dentistry, one place,’ and it’s really true.”
To deliver on that motto, the office transformed into a family-oriented, community-minded dental practice that is staffed daily with a general dentist and a hygienist and with specialists who rotate into the office to see patients on the same day each week. This allows patients to receive all types of care from the comfort of their local office, without traveling to see a specialist at a different location they are not familiar with or close to. The full-service, comprehensive dental menu is also supported by the office design itself. All of the operatories were built with uniform equipment and layouts to allow the three doctors to complete any dental procedure, regardless of what it is, from any room in the practice. The treatment areas consist of seven operatories—an increase from just six in the former location—along with two quiet rooms and four orthodontic chairs.
To deliver on the Absolute Dental mission to offer most specialty dental services under one roof, Henry Schein's design team configured all 13 treatment areas identically so any procedure could be completed in any chair.
The Henry Schein team was invited into the building process early on, using practice analysis data and recommendations in office design to help Absolute Dental translate the mission into a real-world, functional workflow. Henry Schein Equipment Sales Specialist Roy Dickson assisted with equipment selections.
Sleek Interior With Palette of Gray, Black and White
With almost a spartan, utilitarian design theme for the office, the large print of a Las Vegas landmark in black and white captures the eyes of visitors and draws their attention to the reception area beverage center.
The interior of the new office was designed to be contemporary and bright, which helps to communicate the truth that the practice has evolved into a high-tech, modern dental practice. Windows wrap around the building thanks to their placement on the building’s corner. Gray was chosen as the office’s main color, and everything is built upon that base. Accents are black and white. The sleek, cutting-edge look is first seen in the large waiting area, with mid-century style molded chairs in white, and black leather high-back seats lining the expansive front windows. An oversized vintage black-and-white photo of the iconic “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign enhances the minimalistic look of the office and draws patients’ eyes to the beverage center.
The centrally located sterilization area was a key investment for the practice as it strives to deliver cleanliness and efficiency with Midmark and SciCan equipment.
The look is clean and crisp, but it’s also highly durable and functional. Large-format tile flooring is laid throughout the office and creamy quartz counters sit on top of the reception desk and workspaces. The walls are coordinated in soothing shades of the smoky gray hue, complimenting deeper gray cabinetry. Adding to the abundant sunlight are pendant lights that hang above the check-in desk. Recycled materials were specially chosen to create a “green” facility that is welcoming, cheerful, and comfortable for patients.
VIP Trip Fine-Tunes Equipment Selections
To ensure the office was functional for the many different types of dentistry they offered required special attention to the type of operatory equipment chosen.
The four-chair orthodontic bay joins seven operatories—universally configured for flexibility—and two quiet rooms for 13 total treatment areas.
“The practice considered a number of brands,” confirmed Mr. Dickson. “They were most interested in having equipment that was of good quality that came from a major manufacturer who had longevity in the industry.”
They traveled to Pelton & Crane for a VIP visit to view equipment in person. The Absolute Dental team was sold on their products because the company listened to their needs and then created a custom package for them. The practice selected Pelton & Crane chairs in rich black leather, along with lighting and delivery units. 50″ TV monitors display digital images for the patients, a powerful tool in treatment planning discussions.
“They achieved the goal of creating something that looks nice and is also very durable,” continued Mr. Dickson. “They went over and above making this office a flagship for all of their new offices. They purchased equipment that highlighted the type of care they provide.”
A soothing kaleidoscope of gray tones in the wall colors, cabinets, and tile floors greets patients. Floor plan details, like separate check-in and check-out areas, also contribute to the relaxed feeling in the office and make the patient flow more efficient.
The centrally located sterilization center is highly efficient, using the same gray cabinetry and Midmark and SciCan equipment.
Mrs. Zurko noted that the practice also adopted a color-coded tub and tray system in the sterilization room, an efficient way to streamline the process, which is particularly important for such a large practice that provides so many different specialties. The practice also instituted a VistaPure water system to ensure that the water is of the highest purity for its patients.
According to the doctors, having a proper layout significantly increased their patient flow, which now exceeds 125 new patients per month, double-digit production growth over the previous location.
“Our staff and providers have enough room and equipment to treat multiple patients at the same time. The overhead here is the lowest of all of our facilities, and our staff and patients enjoy a state-of-the-art practice and embrace our new model.”
Open since March 2017, the new office is proof that investing in high-tech equipment along with fresh branding can be a powerful jump start for an existing practice.
Dr. Prada confirms the office has exceeded her expectations, simply saying, “it’s perfect.” ♦
From Left to Right: Roy Dickson, Equipment Sales Specialist; Veronica Williams, Regional Operations Manager; Farish Thompson, Regional Manager; Leann Lyons, Zone Operations Manager; Dr. Stansby Porter; Mike Rios, Equipment Service Technician; Dr. Patricia Prada; Curtis Bans, Equipment Service Technician; Diane Zurko, Field Sales Consultant; Clint Congleton, Equipment Service Technician; Tom Montefinese, CEO, Absolute Dental; Joey Olmstead, Director of Practice Development, Absolute Dental; Mark Russell, CFO, Absolute Dental.