Expanded Practice Blends High-Tech with Homey Feel

Supremia Dentistry – Wake Forest, NC

Ed Suh, DDS

Dr. Ed Suh, who has run Supremia Dentistry in Wake Forest, North Carolina, for 22 years, has always focused on offering the best to his patients, from the latest dental technology to a calming atmosphere. However, when Dr. Suh pictured the future of his practice, he saw the need to offer even more—space, comfort, and an enhanced workflow.

So, he packed up his treasured smaller practice in 2020 and moved across the street to a much larger building that would bring his vision to life. In expanding his dental practice, Dr. Suh had three main goals:

1. Provide patients with a stress-free experience

2. Accentuate technology to enhance office workflow efficiency and clinical capabilities

3. Create a practice that was built for future growth

“Henry Schein was integral,” explains Dr. Suh. He provided his Henry Schein team with some basic ideas of what he wanted, and according to the doctor, they delivered “something that was better than we ever imagined.”

Patient Comfort Comes First

Dental practices can sometimes feel a bit cramped. To put anxious patients at ease, Dr. Suh chose to make every space as roomy as possible. He worked with his Henry Schein team to perfect the new building’s design. “We tried to create something that was different,” says Dr. Suh. “We spent the most time wrestling with and trying to make sure the flow went as smoothly as possible.”

A patient’s visit starts with Supremia Dental’s waiting room, a large, airy space with cushy sofas and a bright check-in area. Consultations take place in a private, nonclinical room with a 70” wall-mounted monitor where Dr. Suh helps patients settle in, discuss treatments, and answer any questions they may have.

Treatment rooms are designed for privacy, communication, and efficiency. Each is equipped with Midmark’s Ultratrim® heated massage chair, which delivers an extra touch in comfort. Across from each patient chair, with a clean line of site, is a wide-screen monitor. A comfortable armchair for guests sits on the floor, a few feet away and to the right of the screen, allowing patients and their attending guests to easily view X-rays and visually understand everything the doctor shares with them.

Dr. Suh uses state-of-the-art 3D-imaging CBCT systems to provide multidimensional images of the bony structures of the skull. Supremia Dentistry also offers patients same-day dentistry for cases such as crowns, eliminating the need for multiple visits.

“There’s a lot to be said when using CAD/CAM technology to enhance the patient experience,” he explains.  “Not only does it allow for easier treatments—there’s no need to use gooey impression materials anymore—but also it offers same-day options, which is one of the most powerful benefits for patients.”

Patient privacy was another priority for Dr. Suh. Supremia Dentistry allows space for private conversations between patients and team members, whether they would like to discuss billing details or a health concern.

Good Workflow Helps Teamwork Flow

Dr. Suh counts on his team to be involved in every part of his practice. So, a successful workflow and equipment setup was needed to translate to a happy team that could easily use the latest technology and be comfortable while performing their work. The main question he wanted answered was, “Is it easy enough that my team can use it?”

“I love our new workflow and wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he adds. “For the way things have been integrated, I literally have everything sitting in my operatory, including a digital impressioning scanning system that I don’t have to wheel around. I can just plug into a USB port in any operatory and immediately digitally scan everybody.”

The practice’s new sterilization center creates better efficiency for his team, which leads to improved patient flow for faster recoveries, notes Brandon Brooks, Equipment Sales Specialist. A Midmark Synthesis Steri-Center with steel-core medical furniture sets the flow for staff, where staff processes instruments in one direction, from left to right, dirty to clean. This eliminates the possibility of using a cross-contaminated medical instrument, which is vitally important especially in the time of COVID-19.

Ergonomic dental equipment, including drills and hoses, helps keep Dr. Suh’s team comfortable and healthy. “Using our equipment helps eliminate movements for the doctor and staff—reducing movements from around 12 to just 3 or 4,” says Mr. Brooks. This also saves time for both staff and patients.

Dr. Suh states that the new office is something he envisioned for many years, and he plans to finish out his career there. “Our goal was to build toward the future. It wasn’t really about 2021, but about building out for 10 years from now,” he adds.

The expansion came just in time to welcome a new doctor on board, too.

“We wanted to create a place that felt comfortable for patients and staff, with enhanced quality care,” he remembers. “While it's still a place where people are receiving health care, there are certain things we can't change, such as infection control practices. But, outside of that, the goal was to not make it feel like a typical dental office. Based on the feedback from patients and staff, I think, we’ve succeeded.”