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20 SCIENCE & PRACTICE Cosmetic Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | 10/2017 Riedl: We too choose Honest Materials, mainly because I like na- ture. In our previous office design, we used the colours white, grey and green. In order to preserve our corporate identity, we wanted to keep these and combined them with a lot of wood and glass, be- cause we wanted to convey the na- ture aspect to our patients. Tech- nology is cold and patients do not want to be confronted with it directly, so we created the look of a mountain lodge. Our floors are even called “valley station”, “middle station” and “mountain station”, for example. Do you feel that patients appreciate the effort? Riedl: Some do; some do not. Pa- tients who share the same values as we do feel more comfortable than those who think the design is unnec- essary for dentistry or think it makes the cost of their care more expensive. Patel: Good design does not have to be expensive. Neverthe- less, for some reason, if one puts a great deal of effort into the design of one’s practice, it is perceived as though one put a lot of money into it, which is not always the case. Would you say that the investment in the design is also reflected in the success of the practice? Patel: In the US, many things are based on return on invest- ment. It is easier to convince one- self to invest in a CEREC or CBCT device, because one sees an imme- diate return on investment. How- ever, trying to convince oneself to invest in the design with nicer cabinetry or floorplans, where there is not a direct return on in- vestment, is more difficult. But, I am a firm believer that if one works in a beautiful and happy place, it reflects one’s standards and that is the greatest return on AD Please join us!! Official language : English investment. Patients see that. If one sees that love is in every de- tail, the financial aspect fades in importance; the design fulfils one as a person and one’s patients ap- preciate the resulting work. Riedl: Sometimes, it is about the little things. For example, my wife puts fresh flowers in every corner of the practice, which I love. However, design polarises. It divides our patients into at least two groups. Those who are inter- ested in and impressed by our de- sign appreciate it, of course. Oth- ers do not. I believe that treatment units and high-end equipment es- tablish a sense of professionalism, quality and exclusivity. No patient can judge a dentist’s quality and knowledge at first sight, but, in the eyes of the patient, design and technology often are equivalents for quality, so good design will pay off. There are countless treatment units on the market and they differ a great deal. What did you consider when deciding on a system? Riedl: The treatment units are our workbenches—very expen- sive ones (laughs), but work- benches nonetheless. It has to be stable, easy to use, intuitive, ergo- nomic and comfortable for the pa- tient, as well as for the dentist and the assistants—and, of course, easy to clean. It has to aid our treatment and therefore our daily work as a dentist. It is like the assis- tance systems in one’s car or a smartphone. A good design, of course, is welcome too. That is why the Teneo was our system of choice. You both use Teneo. What sets the unit apart from those you have used before? Riedl: As a dentist, I have al- ways worked with Sirona, now Dentsply Sirona. Therefore, there was no question of the brand I would choose. In our previous office, we used the M1 for almost 30 years—I, of course, used it only for about ten years—and I did not want to change my habits and movements during treat- ment. Comparing the M1 with the Teneo is like comparing an old Mercedes-Benz with a new one. It is the same quality. The Teneo might be not as solid as the good old M1, but has more features that are useful. Patel: I was designing a new of- fice, so I had a clean slate to work with. I did a great deal of research and comparisons. For me, the look and the design were important, as were functionality, integration, longevity and being able to sani- tise it easily. I was instantly drawn to Teneo, because, as I said, I do not like clutter. The fact that everything was integrated was an instant attraction to me. I found solutions to all my wishes in the Teneo. It was an easy decision to make and we designed the office around the units. Thank you very much for the inter- view.