Doctors Open The First Dental Practice in Up-and-Coming Nashville Neighborhood

Gulch Dental Studio - Nashville, Tennessee | Clint Newman, DDS & Jeff Trembley, DDS

Many dentists either construct a new office or complete a remodel at some point in their careers, but few build two new practices in the same year! That is exactly what owner Dr. Clint Newman did—he moved his practice in Hillsboro Pike to Green Hills in Nashville, while concurrently building his satellite location, Gulch Dental Studio, in a trendy area of downtown Nashville called “The Gulch”.

The Gulch—one of the hottest areas in the city—is named after an actual ravine that runs through it. In the past two decades, The Gulch’s resurgence has made it “the place to be” in Nashville, with high-end restaurants, condos, and shops. This upscale, hip neighborhood gave Dr. Newman and his partner, Dr. Jeff Trembley, the chance to expand their services to the young professionals who work and live there.

A planked wood façade brings warmth and interesting texture to the checkout desk. The doctors use Dentrix practice management software for business operations. The patient’s entire file, including digital images and insurance information are viewable from anywhere in the practice.

“The location and patient population are intimately linked,” said Dr. Trembley, who works every day in Gulch Dental Studio, while Dr. Newman practices there on Fridays. “Most patients live within walking distance to the office, which helps to build a community atmosphere.”

Because of the popularity of the area, commercial space came and went quickly, but Dr. Newman found a perfect space in Gulch Crossing, the newest building available. It had excellent visibility and was close to some of the best restaurants in the city. Henry Schein Field Sales Consultant Greg Kovach was instrumental to the project, working closely with Drs. Newman and Trembley to focus on business solutions that would make the practice as profitable as possible. As the project moved forward, Equipment & Technology Specialist David Stose joined the conversations.

Sharing his reasons for choosing Henry Schein for the office builds, Dr. Trembley said, “Their ability to walk us through every step—from planning to stocking and using the resources they have at their disposal—allowed us to move quickly with the build out. Their attentive nature and our history with them made this a no brainer.”

The Pelton & Crane Solaris sterilization center is a galley-style set-up with entrances on both sides for easy access and top-of-the-line equipment, such as the Midmark M11 autoclave.

The 2,400-square-foot Gulch Dental Studio opened in September 2015 on the ground floor, and it can be described as an exquisite boutique practice that provides general dentistry, endodontics, oral surgery, implants, and cosmetic and aesthetic services, including Botox. It was designed with five operatories, and four are currently equipped, with the remaining treatment room set aside for future growth.

“The overall feel of the office matches the type of dentistry they offer to their patients; they spared no expense to provide a special, high-tech patient experience,” said Mr. Stose.

Its construction was not without some challenges, however. “Below the building was a parking garage,” Stose continued, “and when construction began, we discovered the floor was inlaid with post-tension cables that ran throughout the space and supported the floor. Severing any of the cables could lead to a collapse of the floor, so we had to X-ray every inch and work our design and utilities around the cables. Even accounting for the cables, we were able to fit everything in a relatively compact space and see the doctors’ vision through to completion.”

Rustic Elements Share Space with Industrial Décor

Gulch Dental Studio’s design certainly fits the chic, upscale nature of the region. It blends reclaimed wood elements with concrete, glass, leather, and unique, contemporary lighting fixtures to create a comfortable and sophisticated vibe. The check-in desk’s reclaimed wood façade softens the more minimal lines of the white walls and industrial style pendant lights that hang over the desk. Soothing gray chairs and a large leather sofa share space with a reclaimed wood feature wall and large abstract print that provides a soft splash of blue into the neutral-hued room.

Passing through the door from reception to the treatment area, the hallways are lined with abstract-style prints in the same blue hues.

Inside the operatories are Pelton & Crane’s Spirit 3300 and 1800 dental chairs and rear-delivery units for patient comfort and the ability to program settings into the chairs for each staff member’s ergonomic comfort. The practice uses KaVo electric handpieces, DEXIS CariVu, and intraoral cameras. Steps away, the Pelton & Crane Solaris sterilization center maximizes best practices for efficiency and safety.

In both of the new locations, Dr. Newman asked Henry Schein TechCentral to design and install the computer network and its related security and backup systems. In addition, TechCentral handled the logistics and installation of the treatment room computer workstations, the Sonos sound system, and the phone system, which integrates with Dentrix.

Digital Dentistry Improves Efficiency

The exam room is crisp and uncluttered, with soft leather Pelton & Crane chairs from the Spirit line, Helios LED lights, and under-floor tubing and electrical.

In a cutting-edge, modern dental office like Gulch Dental Studio, fast, comfortable and precise equipment and technology is a vital part of the patient experience, so the doctors chose an Instrumentarium OP30 digital pan and DEXIS sensors, and the digital images are stored in Dentrix. 55-inch curved monitors, mounted in each treatment room, allow Dr. Trembley to display the digital images as well as intraoral camera photos for treatment planning discussions.

“The equipment is state of the art and well maintained, allowing the staff to maximize the effectiveness of their work,” said Dr. Trembley. “It has instilled a feeling of pride for the doctors and staff.”

Right now, Gulch Dental Studio is in the enviable position of being the only dental office in that part of town. Due to word of mouth, high visibility of the location, and referrals from other doctors, the business is growing and has added more than 65 new patients per month since opening last fall.

“We receive endodontic and extraction referrals because we are equipped to handle such specialized work,” noted Dr. Trembley, “and our patients appreciate that we can keep many procedures in-house.”

As the practice grows, the doctors plan to add additional technology to maintain efficient workflows and more staff members as needed.

“Both projects came out perfectly,” Mr. Stose acknowledged, reflecting on both the Gulch and the Green Hills office builds. “We couldn’t have asked for them to have turned out any better.” ♦

Originally published in Sidekick Magazine