Office Showcase

Melanie Emerson, DDS (Oklahoma City)

By: Melanie Emerson, DDS

Fifteen years into a lease and outgrowing my current space, I started looking into building an office that would reenergize my desire to go to work. I was hearing from others that one way to get out of the burnout doldrums was to change my professional space. In the early phases of planning, my main goal was to expand enough to take on an associate, which would give me more flexibility in my schedule and the ability to incorporate and utilize technological advances in dentistry. Once I decided to build within 5 years, I started looking for land to purchase. I practice in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and many of my patients live all over the city but work at Tinker Air Force Base. I live in Choctaw and treat many friends and family members. Therefore, my goal was to stay east of the OKC metro area and as close to my current office as possible. I consulted my dental reps, who put me in touch with a broker. As I started looking for land, I was shocked by the price of commercial land. It was doable, but much of the land near me that I was interested in required specific things such as the addition of city water. Then, a family friend and local realtor suggested that I try to rezone a residential property not even a mile from my current office. I took a risk, purchased the property, and went through the rezoning process. The risk paid off, and I now owned land. As I toured dental offices, I made notes on what was important to me and listened intently to team members and colleagues, and experienced reps who are part of the dental family and the best resources. The first stage was the architect. Architects are like magicians; they can make things that you dream appear. They have smart boards and Google Earth, and the ability to draw your thoughts, and it didn’t take much to impress a middle-aged Gen Xer like me. It truly was a fun process. Do not be afraid to dream big, and scale back if you have to. You will not know what is possible until you ask. I ended up with an upstairs bonus room, a garage, and a saltwater fish tank built into the wall, because I asked.

As I think back on my biggest struggle during the expansion phase, and I would have to say it was my own anxiety. I worried about taking on debt and closing or an interruption in the ability to see patients. You cannot be expected to shut down your dental office for extended periods of time or to go for prolonged periods without vital elements such as operatories, sterilization, or mechanical equipment. Therefore, communicating with your contractor, dental equipment team, and current lease situation is key. Choosing the right equipment, cabinets/hardware, and a designer can be a challenge. You need to trust that the sales team is looking after you and not just trying to get the most productive sell. You need to ask a lot of questions and explore options. They will take you on tours. I chose Adec equipment because I was so impressed with the facility and the amount of testing that went into their equipment. I haven’t been disappointed! I was fortunate to have a friend and colleague with design and dental profession experiencehelp me choose furniture, fixtures, paint, and art! I am forever grateful for Oklahoma orthodontist, Dr. Terry Cotterell who had the vision for my office design. Just a reminder to Oklahoma Dental Association readers that our profession has talented hobbyists in all sorts of fields!

We have been at our new location for three years, and I have achieved my goal of being busy enough to work with an associate. I love my space, utilize digital dentistry advances, and continue to grow as a practitioner by providing more services. I no longer feel the need to work extra days or stop taking new patients because I was feeling too busy and trapped in a space I had outgrown. Our new patient numbers are steadily increasing. I will never forget the emotion and excitement I felt when I saw my completed building for the first time. If you are thinking about building your dream office, start planning. It can certainly have a huge impact on your practice and mindset.

Melanie Emerson, DDS was raised in Houston, Texas.She graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Ok. She worked two years as a research scientist at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and went on to graduate from University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry in 2001. She started her dental practice from the ground up in 2001. They opened at their new location in February of 2019. Dr. Emerson has 3 kids, and 2 grandsons. Her youngest daughter hopes to follow her mom into dentistry and own this dental practice one day. She is a recent published author of a small book which showcases her hobby of photography called Waxing and Waning which you can find on Amazon.

Currently, Dr. Meredith Turbeville, is an associate in the practice, and has brought cutting edge dentistry techniques to the practice after graduating from University of Texas San Antonio Dental School and completing the AEGD residency at University of Oklahoma.