Dr. Geoffrey R. Gamache returned to the upstate New York TOWN where he was raised—and his sparkling, tech-laden new practice has since become a dental home for a growing patient base.

the light stuff: Just inside a beautiful stone entryway, the spacious, well-illuminated reception area welcomes patients.

TUCKED INSIDE A stately-yet-modest exterior edifice in Averill Park, New York, sits Eastview Dental Professionals—something of a technological super-practice.

The visionary behind it: Dr. Geoffrey R. Gamache, 43, who returned to his hometown, just east of Albany, after earning his dental degree from SUNY Buffalo and completing his residency. He joined his childhood dentist’s group practice in 2003.

Comfort Zone: A dental chair both wide and plush enough to curl up in overnight, if for some reason it ever came to that

Dr. Gamache started as a practice associate and ultimately became a partner. Upon completion of his buyout in 2015, it was time to modernize the facility and lead with his own philosophy. By the time he outgrew the 2,800-square-foot space, he had long been researching his ideal practice. Along with his Benco Dental designer, Paul Staritz, and Jordan Clark of the Ballina Group, an architecture firm in northeast Pennsylvania, he began to search for the perfect setting.

What came first? Patient welfare, naturally. Then a design aesthetic that would help beautify his hometown, inside and out. “I grew up here; I’ve seen it evolve over 35 to 40 years,” Dr. Gamache says of Averill Park. “It’s not been rapid development, but it certainly has changed since the 1980s.”

Learning Annex: The in-office classroom

Eastview Dental features 9,656 square feet, 12 operatories, two labs . . . and two graceful Southern-style porches. “The design follows concepts I find attractive in architecture and gives the building an charming front facade,” the doctor says.

“It’s a fine line when someone is coming to the dentist, maybe not their favorite place to go,” he continues. “The design and finishes can provide comfort and show the patient that we’re above and beyond the standard of care. I made the decision to grow and increase in size, although I certainly had the ability to condense into a boutique practice. At the end of the day, what is going to make your practice the most functional? Make a conscious decision on the path you want the practice to follow. With the right representation, support staff and networks, you can stay in healthy parameters and make that happen.”

Screening Room: One
of the practice’s lab stations

Dr. Gamache raves about Gari Calvert and Geoff Peters, his Benco reps, calling them “irreplaceable and visionary. They were integral in bringing products and equipment together that would support my vision of integration and efficiency.”

This commitment to innovation led to the practice’s two custom labs—one a receiving and fit-and-finish lab, and the other, on the lower level, a fully functional lab. “The basement lab features two benches full of instrumentation, electric handpieces, the whole nine yards,” Dr. Gamache says. “It’s designed to easily plug and play with 3D mills and printers for the future. I’m confident that in 20 years this building will still be viable. A lot of infrastructure I instituted was to make sure the practice could adapt and change in the future.

“My goal for the next five to 10 years? I think about that all the time. My immediate plan is to continue to cultivate the growth of our practice with the integration of new technology. We have been growing at an exponential rate since opening—over 100 new patients a month for the first seven months. Also, I aim to create a pathway to partnership for my associates. I see this practice being a group of owner-dentists in the future. I feel like the transition I made and the practice I developed was a life-changing endeavor.”

Site Plans: Steve Wilson, Bohler Engineering

Interior Design: Megan Chuzas, CenterPoint Design, Benco Dental

Contractor: Sam Greco, Greco Construction

Project Manager: Steve Rousseau

Architect: Jordan Clark, Ballina Group

Dental Designer: Paul Staritz, Benco Dental

Equipment Specialist: Geoff Peters, Benco Dental

Friendly Benco Rep: Gari Calvert

Lending: M&T Bank

IT: Darkhorse Tech

Legal and Zoning: David Everett and Timothy Morrison, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna

Design Tip

“First and foremost, really assess and know your practice. Whether you’ve been in it for years and years or bought out an existing practice and need a new facility, the practice is the driving force that’s going to pay for all this. Some fall into the trap of ‘build it and they will come,’ but I think a good evaluation of your practice and staff is important.”

—Dr. Geoffrey R. Gamache

Long Shot: (From top) The road goes on forever; operatory with a view; another side of the reception area

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL: (From top) The practice’s lovely exterior; the sleek sterilization area

“Many dentists ask me how I got started and what steps I took. Create a vision, cultivate it and own it. Make sure it truly represents you and the way you want to practice, not the way you think you have to practice. Get out of the little box most of us get stuck in.”

—Dr. Geoffrey R. Gamache