Dr. Chuck Hughes is a highly successful pediatric dentist in Jackson, Tennessee, and a valued customer of IDS. We sat down with Dr. Hughes to ask him about his experience working with IDS and the impact it has had on his practice. Now an enthusiastic office ‘themer’, he was happy to oblige.

IDS: Dr. Hughes, what made you contact IDS in the first place?

Dr. Chuck Hughes: When I first saw them in PDT magazine and then at the AAPD conference, I thought, wow, this company is really creative and I bet if I put one of their giant characters on my roof, it would stop traffic. Of course it would be great advertising.

Then, taking it one step further, I thought about why I became a pediatric dentist. I love working with kids and I know how important it is for them to learn how to take care of their teeth. What if I could do more to make their office visit fun, engaging and educational? Everyone at our office already does so much to put kids at ease but what if we could make the office seem like a fun place for kids, super welcoming and just for them… how great would that be?

IDS: Were you doing anything to market your practice before you found IDS?

Dr. Chuck Hughes: At the time I was doing everything I could think of! I was doing newspaper ads, TV commercials and radio spots. It was expensive but what I believed needed to be done. I was spending about $6000 a month on what would help grow my practice.

IDS: Did you get the results you were looking for and how did you know?

Dr. Chuck Hughes: I knew as soon as we opened that we were getting a lot of new patients, so I asked my staff to keep track by asking each new patient or their parents what brought them in. At the time, like I said, I was spending a significant amount each month on promotional ads in the newspaper, on TV and radio and a bunch of other things. And all those things took a lot of time to manage.

I was thinking that I would have been happy if my new investment in IDS had been responsible for 50% of the new patients tracked. You could have knocked me over with a feather when the results came in after six months… a full 94% of people surveyed cited the exterior theming!! I was so happy to hear this. I knew I was making the right decision but this survey proved it.

IDS: Were there any other benefits?

Dr. Chuck Hughes: Multiple benefits! Patient retention, no question. My dental team is the best and we have always worked very hard on patient retention. However, if children cannot wait to come back because of how cool our office is, that’s just a bonus.

We always see parents and teens taking pictures with their phones in the office. You can’t buy that kind of advertising when they send out those pictures to their friends and family and maybe even post them on their Facebook page. That’s a true benefit.

Another benefit is for my staff. They love it when a child walks in and their jaw drops at what they see, or when a mom compliments the office. It makes them proud because it’s their office too.

I am a huge advocate for proper dental education for my patients. IDS really helped me by creating elements in the theming that I use to educate all my patients. It is done in a fun and playful way so the kids are much more likely to remember what we’ve taught them.

And a final reason and this is really important, it also makes my job easier as well as our other dentists, hygienists, and assistants. If children are more relaxed, it is definitely easier to do our jobs.

IDS: How was your experience working with IDS?

Dr. Chuck Hughes: Fantastic, from beginning to end. When I first called and spoke to Dave (IDS President) he was so excited about the potential of my office that I couldn’t help but get excited too. I could immediately tell from our first conversation that he knew dental offices and all the challenges that we have setting up and running our practices. I knew I was talking to an expert.

I could tell from their website that everything was very high quality, so I was a little worried about costs. Once I started working with IDS, they were so professional and detailed that I realized I was in good hands. How can you not be impressed with their design ideas and the quality of their products?

And the results! They did everything that they said they would and more. The IDS installers that came down to my office did a great job and the installation of everything went very easy and on time. I was blown away by what they accomplished.

IDS: Would you work with IDS again?

Dr. Chuck Hughes: I am thrilled with my current office and I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Dave and his team again! Not only would I work with them again but when other practitioners ask me, ‘who did those great animals on your roof’ I say, IDS, and you’re going to love them… here’s their number.

Dr. Chuck Hughes has been in the specialty practice of pediatric dentistry since 1989. Dr. Hughes is dedicated to providing all of his patients with the most comprehensive and advanced pediatric dental care available.

Interested in learning more about themed environments? Check out these related resources on IDS customers:

See more examples of jungle theming here.

Hear more great stories of happy IDS customers here.

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience. Or download our inspiring look book and start imagining the possibilities in your office.

Dr. Bobby Ghandehari has run his own practice since 2004. Along with his wife, Dr. Sarah Mathias, a pediatric dentist, they approached IDS to theme their joint jungle themed ortho/pediatric office.

IDS: As an orthodontist, what are your biggest challenges in growing your practice?

Dr. Ghandehari: I would say competition. There are 25-30 orthodontic offices in our area, so you really have to stand out.

IDS: What marketing efforts have you made in the past to address these?

Dr. Ghandehari: At first, I used mostly external marketing with flyers and brochures. I used the same company as the pediatric practice that shares the same office, but it doesn’t work for orthodontics.

For pediatrics, when new families are looking for a dentist they respond to the flyers. For ortho, it doesn’t really work that way. Word of mouth and referrals are what I need.

The marketing company that we were using wanted us to focus externally to general dentists. However, we found more success internally, receiving referrals from the pediatric practice within our same walls.

IDS: You share an office with a pediatric dentist. It sounds like you have made that a positive for your practice. As an orthodontist, however, what were your concerns about theming your office?

Dr. Ghandehari: The challenge is that if the office looks focused on only kids, then adults will not want to come for their ortho treatment. Our first office was themed very young, so parents of children in the pediatric practice would seek ortho care from another ortho because they thought I was a pediatric ortho. It is a problem embedded into a practice like this. If you join a practice like this, it could be looked at that way.

Kids area in the treatment waiting area.

IDS: How did IDS address those concerns and what solution did they come up with for you?

Dr. Ghandehari: Three ways. First, IDS was able to create a path, set the course in terms of planning. We were able to develop the vision together. It is a lot of work and you only find limited skill level while trying to find different artists to do each thing. IDS has a whole team to build the vision rather than me researching it. Previously, I had some nice work done for the pedo side but it did not reflect ortho. We were able to bring a mature look because IDS has so many different artists with different skills. They have the capacity for any look.

Second, we were able to implement the project exactly as we discussed and IDS created it as we wanted. The dentist has to be the leader for that vision and, when you are working with other trades, you don’t always get to see how things are going to look. With IDS, they were able to show me how everything was going to look with sketches and 3D models, so I could relax.

Thirdly were the ideas that they came up with. They were able to tie in the various aspects of the design to achieve the goal that we wanted. We wanted two different environments for the two practices, and we were able to meet in reception with something that made us both happy. Reception is designed so that both orthodontic and pediatric patients are happy and welcome. It has lots of animals and trees which patients of all ages love, but they took my comment about liking hotel lobbies and created a mature, elegant space with a waterfall. We love it.

Reception area with sculpted trees and realistic animals.

IDS: How have your patients and staff reacted to the office decor?

Dr. Ghandehari: Patients have already commented on how much more mature it is compared to our previous office. Mostly we hear that they are wowed! The surprise of what they get to see when they walk in…that makes it worth it.

IDS: Now that your office is completed, what do you believe are the main benefits of theming an office?

Dr. Ghandehari: When you hear the kids’ footsteps running in 30 seconds before the parents because they are so excited to be there!

IDS: Did you have any other concerns about theming with IDS before initially contacting them?

Dr. Ghandehari: The concerns were largely centered on budget and time frame. I wasn’t sure that it would be affordable for their quality. However the value was there.

Also, locally in California I can get some things done quickly but not to the same quality. I knew it would be longer with IDS because of all the work and detail that the artists put into it, so I was worried that you couldn’t get it done within our time frame. I was worried that I wouldn’t even be able to go with IDS. But everything turned out fine in the end.

IDS: How has your experience been working with IDS throughout the whole process?

Dr. Ghandehari: I think the extent of their attention to detail with the project let me not worry about the project. It put me at ease. I always had the confidence from the beginning that someone was looking after things and I don’t have to be that person.

IDS: What did you like most about working with IDS?

Dr. Ghandehari: We had so many things to do and the stresses of construction, but there was one area that I did not worry about – I knew that the IDS team was looking after everything.

And also, I don’t think IDS does enough to promote how good their install team is. The install team is comprised of fabricators, so they can troubleshoot on-site and reliably get things done and solve problems. What a difference that made!

IDS: What is the best advice you can give an orthodontist who is looking to theme their dental office?

Dr. Ghandehari: Think about the patient experience. I have seen the response that patients and family have when they see you have created a fun and pleasant environment for them. We expect patients to invest a lot of time into their dental health and our business, but it is not always pleasant. I wanted it to be fun. Patients assume every practice has the same excellence so they decide on where to go based on where they are cared for, where it is enjoyable and fun. The knowledge and expertise is assumed in an office, but the patient experience comes after they’ve been there.

Dr. Bobby Ghandehari is a UCLA graduate and Regents Scholar, and a graduate of the prestigious Department of Orthodontics, at the University of Illinois School of Dentistry. Dr. Bobby resides in Ladera Ranch with his wife, Sarah Mathias (a children’s dentist) their two sons, and their German Shepherd, Hans.

Interested in learning more about themed environments? Check out these related resources on IDS customers:

See more examples of bayou theming here.

Hear more great stories of happy IDS customers here.

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience. Or download our inspiring look book and start imagining the possibilities in your office.

Dr. Tonya Triplett knows the power of innovation in the dental industry. She and her partners were the owners of the very first IDS themed office, installed back in 2004. Her originality isn’t about to stop there. She has the first farm themed IDS office ever created, which was completed in the spring of 2016. We talked with her about her successful working relationship with IDS.

Check out this video of Dr. Triplett’s second office themed with a jungle and sports decor. 

Tour a Jungle and Sports Themed Dental Office

IDS: Over the years, you’ve become one of our biggest fans. How did you find us the first time?

Dr. Triplett: Back in 2004 my partner and I had an idea for a fun space and were looking for a custom manufacturer to build it. When we first contacted Dave he wasn’t even doing themed office decor, he was focused more on theme parks. We had to convince him to do it.

The first office created for Dr. Triplett and the first office ever made by IDS!

IDS: Why did you decide to theme your office ten years ago?

Dr. Triplett: My partner and I knew we wanted something different that would help us stand out from other practices. Plus we wanted to do something great and unique for our patients.

IDS: When you started building for the second time, did you plan on theming your new office?

Dr. Triplett: Obviously we wanted to theme our second office, but we knew this new, larger office would be more expensive so we were uncertain if we should proceed. After talking with other companies in the industry, they told us our theming was the best part of our previous office. We went ahead, it turned out amazing, and now we’re on to a third office!

The second office created for Dr. Triplett – jungle decor dominates this location.

IDS: Now that you are building a third office, we want to revisit some of the choices that helped you get to where you are today. Did the theming at your first two offices allow you to grow bigger or faster?

Dr. Triplett: Absolutely! A big part of why we are able to do a third office is the theming. IDS has had a huge impact on the growth of our last two practices. Now I can’t imagine having a pediatric dental office without [IDS theming].

IDS: What are some specific ways that IDS dental theming has helped you grow?

Dr. Triplett: Our word of mouth recommendations are through the roof. Our jungle office has been the talk of the town since it opened up 6 years ago. We even have a few families that have moved, but still drive in from the next county over to keep coming to our office. That is amazing client loyalty.

IDS: Have you tracked your patient growth after you themed your office? How many new patients did the theming bring in?

Dr. Triplett: I don’t have exact numbers, but the theming in the second practice has brought in thousands of new patients since opening in 2010.

IDS: As for your third office, how difficult was it to get your new partners to go along with your desire to theme your new office? Did they resist at all?

Dr. Triplett: Absolutely not. They knew about the profits and the number of new patients the jungle office pulled in, so there was none of the uncertainty we had the last time we expanded into a bigger space. And they are excited about the new theme itself. We actually did a theme that no other IDS dental office had done before, a farm theme!

IDS: You’ve always been innovative in your ideas, and we are thrilled to be working on IDS’s first farm themed office with you. Why did you want to do something so unique and different?

Dr. Triplett: I knew this office would be more challenging than the last two, but I knew IDS could make it amazing. With the service, quality and creativity that IDS provides there was no reason not to try something new and unique.

The third office created for Dr. Triplett and her team – the farm themed dental office decor is carried through from floor to ceiling.

Dr. Tonya Triplett received her undergraduate degree in dental hygiene and her Dental and Pediatric Dental Specialization from The University of Tennessee. Dr. Tonya is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists and the American Dental Association. She enjoys traveling and attending Razorback sporting events. 

See the full jungle office theme here.

See the full jungle office theme here.

Interested in learning more about themed environments? Check out these related resources on IDS customers:

See more examples of jungle theming here.

See more examples of sports theming here.

See more examples of farm theming here.

Hear more great stories of happy IDS customers here.

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience. Or download our inspiring look book and start imagining the possibilities in your office.