Sidekick - Volume 1, 2020 - 49

Finding the Right Spot
Once Dr. Wu had made his decision to open a second office,
Mr. Lasser and his team got to work, locating a 3,600-squarefoot space within a retail plaza in Bedford, an upscale community
outside of Boston and 11 miles from the Westford location. The
high-visibility road on which the plaza sits connects several affluent
towns, and it was close to his existing office.
"As soon as I saw the space in Bedford, I knew this was going to be
it. It had the right demographics, distance, and space," Dr. Wu said.
Some of Dr. Wu's existing clients lived closer to the Bedford site, so
Dr. Wu planned to move them to that office. Mr. Lasser noted that
while "you don't want to cannibalize your own patients," Dr. Wu's
plan freed up much-needed space at the Westford office.
Making a Statement
The desired location was selected rather quickly, but lease
negotiations hit a snag, so Henry Schein partner Cirrus Consulting
came in to help. Finally, the design of the leading-edge space
could begin.
Because Emerson Dental is a multispecialty practice with sameday dentistry, integration was crucial. "Being able to perform any
procedure at any time with the same dental unit makes things more
convenient and efficient," Mr. Lasser explained.
In two operatories, the doctor chose Dentsply Sirona furniture
and cabinetry, which he already used in his Westford practice.
The Dentsply Sirona chairs feature integrated UAF cameras and a
CEREC digital impression system.
"Using all Dentsply Sirona equipment has allowed for easier
communications, as the products were meant to work together. The
design with the cabinets, allowing us to have all the equipment and
supplies within arm's reach, enables us to work comfortably and
efficiently," noted Dr. Wu.
The patient experience, inside and outside the operatories, has
undergone changes to further protect patients and the staff against
the new coronavirus. Patients complete forms online; they wait
outside to be called in for their appointments, which are now
staggered an extra 30 minutes apart; when prompted they enter,
masked, and have their temperatures taken. The doctors have
separate teams who rotate in shifts. If a team member is exposed

The office is built around the calm serenity of the sea. Its design elements,
including the light fixtures, were meant to mimic sun beams reflecting
through the water on a sunny day.

to COVID-19, it's easy to isolate that team as a whole, limiting the
spread of the virus to other team members or patients. Another
doctor and team can step in to fill the gap.
Two distinct areas hold clean and dirty PPE and serve as staging
areas for the doctors. In addition, the doctor invested in medicalgrade HEPA air filtration units for each operatory. They filter out
99.97% of all particles over 0.3 microns. A HEPA system was also
installed in the reception area.
"We also implemented Bola AI, which is headset free, voiceactivated perio charting, eliminating the need for a dental assistant
to help hygiene chart," explained Dr. Wu. "This minimizes patient
contact and helps social distancing as much as possible. The other
benefit of voice-activated charting is it also reduces contamination
because the hygienists can chart without touching a keyboard."
Same-Day Dentistry Important Tool in Post-COVID Care
Dr. Wu wanted to continue using CEREC technology, which he uses
in his Westford location. "If I was going to do this second location,
I wanted everything to be best-in-breed," Dr. Wu said.

ANSI-ADA

WAITING

ADA
RESTROOM

KIDS
AREA

REF.

STACKED
DENTAL
MECHANICAL

STORAGE
STACKED
WASHER/
DRYER

ANSI-ADA

PRIVATE
OFFICE

AQUARIUM

TRAIN
TABLE

DRINKING
FOUNTAIN

IMAGING
ALCOVE

FUTURE
TRE.
ROOM 1

FUTURE
HYG.
ROOM 3

TRE.
ROOM 2

STERILIZATION

LAB

CEREC SIRONA
CAD/CAM MILL

STAFF
LOUNGE

VESTIBULE

CHECK-OUT

FUTURE
HYG.
ROOM 1

RECEPTION

FUTURE
HYG.
ROOM 2

TRE.
ROOM 3

ADA
RESTROOM

TRE.
ROOM 4
FUTURE
TRE. ROOM
#5
(E)OFFICE
MECHANICAL

BEVERAGE
STATION

I.T.
CLOSET
STORAGE
TANK WALL 18" DEPTH

LOGO WALL

Emerson Dental Floor Plan
Designed by: Amy Laundre, Henry Schein Integrated Design Studio
Sidekick | Vol. 1 2020 | 49

Sidekick - Volume 1, 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sidekick - Volume 1, 2020