Page 18 - Healthcare News Jan/Feb 2022

MEDICAL CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESATE
Filling Today’s Needs
Dental-office Renovations Highlight WChanging Protocols, Technology
By MARK MORRIS
hen Craig Sweitzer built his first dental office 37 years ago, he thought it was the coolest thing he had ever done.
As owners of Sweitzer Construction, Craig and his wife, Pat, enjoyed learning the unique
Dental Arts and Berkshire Dentistry, both in Pittsfield, and Shire City Endo in Lenox all presented different challenges to the team, among them build- ing dental practices during a pandemic.
Dr. Sarah Martinelli said the building where her practice, Shire City Endo, does business began as a “rectangular brick box.” Built in 1978, three different banks occupied the site before Martinelli purchased the building in February 2020. Having worked in the area, she knew that dentists re- ferred patients for endodontic work from all over the region, so the central location of this building on Route 7 in Lenox made it an ideal spot.
Craig Sweitzer explained that, when dentists plan a renovation or con- struction project, they will meet with him early in the process. From the choice of equipment to how each room lays out, together they form a plan.
“There are lots of decisions to be made,” he said, “from where the plumbing and electrical lines go to whether the doctor is right-handed or
design requirements and the technical knowledge required to build dental suites, known as operatories.
“We like to work on projects that are new, fresh, and exciting,” Sweitzer said. “Dental offices fit that bill because dental technology is evolving, and it’s fun to stay current with it.”
In a recent string of projects, the Sweitzers’ firm built or renovated three dental practices in the Berkshires, all owned by women dentists. Berkshire
A dental suite at Shire City Endo
18 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022