When Dr. Justin Smutz made the decision to purchase a 40-year-old practice in his hometown of Arvada, Colorado, he knew he’d need to make some immediate changes. “The building was full of a lot of love, but just never touched over 40 years. It was quite dated in every respect,” he said. Knowing the building was exactly where he wanted to practice made his decision to gut it and start over an easy one.
He jokingly says it “just needed a little paint, a little facelift,” but every inch of what is now Smiles by Design has been transformed. Another easy decision: equipping the practice with A-dec. Dr. Smutz explained that in visiting older practices, the ones that had A-dec originally still had that equipment 40-50 years later. And longevity matters when you’re putting down roots.
Of Dr. Smutz, Patterson equipment specialist Lonnie Gwynn said, “He’s a big picture guy. He already knew what he wanted to do. My job was just to kind of fill in the blanks on that big picture. I know how we’re going to get there – what we’re going to use to get there.”
If numbers are any indication, he has arrived; production has quadrupled. “I’m not a huge numbers guy. That’s not what drives me,” he said. Dr. Smutz measures his success in other ways. Being able to bring refined, high-end dental service to the community he calls home “has been my absolute favorite thing.” He’s particularly happy with their in-house lab. “Nothing leaves the walls,” he smiled.
Another area Dr. Smutz is very pleased with – one that often doesn’t get a lot of love – is the sterilization center. His staff loves having “the space to do it the right way.… It gives them a place of pride. This is where we’re bringing our friends and family. This is why we want them here.”
Taking a practice from studs to stunning is a team effort, and Dr. Smutz confidently chose Patterson for the huge undertaking. From vision through delivery to ongoing support, he trusts his Patterson crew to take care of every need. Having relationships with every vendor he wanted to work with – and having skilled technicians to service his cutting-edge technology – continues to reinforce his trust in Patterson.
“There’s a lot of moving parts in this practice every single day – and honestly, it’s best I don’t even know about any of them. TechEdge keeps them out of my schedule.”
Remembering a special conversation after Smiles by Design was completed, Lonnie shared, “He said, ‘I just wanted to call. You probably think I want something, but I don’t this time. I just want to give you grace and say thank you.…This office is beyond my dream.”
To see Dr. Smutz’ beautiful remodel and learn more about his practice, watch this video or read the article.
