Dr. Jason Baker

Miramar Beach, FL

Practice By The Sea

Dr. Jason Baker had a vision for a coastal-inspired practice that conveyed quality and comfort.

The beautiful beaches of Miramar Beach, Florida were a natural inspiration for Dr. Jason Baker of Miramar Beach Dental & Orthodontics. Dr. Baker pursued dentistry because he saw it as the “perfect marriage” between medicine and creative expression. When he started a rebuild of his practice on a new lot, he had the opportunity to employ that creativity in a new and exciting way.

“I’d been in an older office and I knew from the outset that we wouldn’t retain the majority of the equipment. The office was very closed in, we’d outgrown it, and the practice surroundings didn’t fit the personality of our practice,” Dr. Baker recalls. “In this new office, built from the ground up, we wanted an environment that reflected not only our personality, but made a statement about our quality care.”

To achieve this, Dr. Baker chose higher-end materials and equipment, and worked with Pelton & Crane to outfit the operatories.

“In addition to a brighter, calmer color scheme that brings in the coastal look, we went with a more open floor plan and more natural light coming in. We wanted this to be an inviting space,” he said. “The equipment we chose was as intentional as the color design. For example, we went with rear delivery, patient facing forward chairs – nothing scary in their line of sight. We are a laid back practice, with a focus on creating a friendly, family-like atmosphere. Our space needed to match that.”

Since moving into this new space, patients frequently comment on how calming the environment is and how comfortable they feel — and the word is spreading.

“The practice has definitely grown since the build. The new location, more operatories and the esthetics have all helped. I’ve even brought in a part-time associate so that we can accommodate more patients,” Dr. Baker shared. “We moved into our new space in June of 2015 and we’ve since had a record month in terms of production and this month (January 2016) looks to top that. I’m not a guy who is happy with the status quo – I’m always the one who wants to grow more and this rebuild definitely helped.”

Dr. Baker looked at a lot of different companies, large and small, before deciding to work with Pelton & Crane to carry out his practice vision. He knew the look he wanted to create demanded a higher-end feel, and found that in Pelton & Crane he wasn’t paying much more than he would with a competitor, and had access to many valuable tools.

“Before I’d committed to any manufacturer, I participated in the Driven to Excellence seminar with Dr. Tholen (a Pelton-backed education experience), and it helped me. Of course, I was able to learn more about design and flow and ergonomics, but it was touring the facility — touching and feeling the different units — that made a real impact. It was different than just seeing it in a magazine or on a screen,” he shared. “Once I knew Pelton would meet my needs for quality, I was able to use an app they have that allowed me to plug in my colors and envision different possibilities for the space. As a visual person, it definitely helped me.”

In the end, Pelton & Crane offered a combination that resonated with Dr. Baker: uncompromised ergonomics and esthetics.

“I was drawn to that,” he said. “The combination that would serve me best, on top of being able to draw on my existing relationship with Henry Schein — I was making other large equipment purchases through them — made Pelton a company that was easy to work with and delivered an outcome that I am proud of.”