When you see the exterior of the Midlothian office for Parker and Moore Orthodontics, the first thing you notice is the bright and breezy feel of the building. Settled among palm trees and sea grass, the building has light, aqua-blue siding trimmed in slats of painted wood; the white, lift-up louver shutters above each window help block the sun’s heat, while the silver tin roof gives the building utility and the kind of charm found only on these types of shoreline structures.
The building resembles many others in Key West, Fla, or even its neighboring, and substantially more relaxed, island of Sunset Key. However, this isn’t Key West, Sunset, or any other Key. This is Midlothian, Tex, a historic and quaint community located 25 miles south of Dallas. The nearest beach is nearly 300 miles away.
The proximity to the beach doesn’t matter much to practitioners Stan Parker, DDS, MSD, and Cody Moore, DDS, MS. Together, they operate three Parker and Moore offices; each located in east-central Texas and each upholding its own take on the easy-breezy beach theme that is the unmistakable brand of the business.
“Our practice opened in 1982, and since then we have prided ourselves on the family-oriented atmosphere we’ve created that allows us to take the stress out of orthodontic care,” Parker notes. “We want to make the space a destination—a getaway—for our patients. We’ve gone out of our way to make all of our offices the kind of place patients look forward to visiting rather than worrying about.”
The three Parker and Moore locations reside miles from each other in the surrounding communities of Waxahachie, Hillsboro, and Midlothian. The Midlothian location is the newest and largest of the three offices; it’s also the building that carries the beach theme the furthest.
Joseph Ross, president of Ross Orthodontic, helped design the office, and supplied many of the functional, yet decorative and theme-based features in the Midlothian location. This meant, according to Ross, a collaboration of ideas and functionality. “We supplied all the patient chairs, units, lights, delivery systems, and mechanicals,” Ross notes. “All of which aligned with the theme and color palette of the office.”
To uphold the prevalent beach theme, the interior walls were painted a light coral blue with palm-colored greens to contrast. But this is just the paint scheme. Throughout the structure, there are nuances that are a clear tip-of-the-straw-hat to coastal living. For example, upon entry to the Midlothian practice, patients and families are greeted by a curved reception desk adorned with a tile mosaic of surfboards on a beach.
The reception area features a contrasting, palm-leaf-green couch with pops of bright accent colors throughout the space. Head back to the treatment bay, and patients come across a quirky directional signpost made of actual wood, with multicolored arrows pointing in various directions. Directional guides include “Paradise Island 1292 miles,” “Acapulco 1094 miles,” “Brush Here,” “Malibu Beach 1265 miles,” “To the Bay” (the treatment bay, that is).
In the treatment bay, two vibrant orange countertops—cut into the shape of surfboards—were constructed and placed by Ross Orthodontic. The longboards provide an area where patients can brush their teeth and where staff can access screen essentials.
Four coral-blue treatment chairs line the bay. The glory of their being is that they serve multiple functions; they are, at the same time, designed to fit the tone of the office, while also being incredibly practicable and efficient.
“Using our Saturn unit and Matador chair, the doctors were able to minimize needed floor space for the clinic while increasing the efficiency of the treatment on each patient,” Ross explains. “This is because the Saturn system is attached to the chair and is movable. We also added Polaris LED task light chairside, which was small and nonintrusive.”
For Parker and Moore, both of whom are born-and-raised Texans, the cohesive look that embodies all three of their offices is a mixture of fun and intent. “Who doesn’t like the beach?” Moore asks candidly. “It’s always been recognized as a place of relaxation and peacefulness. That’s what we want to convey to our patients.”
What Parker and Moore possess through their central Texas beach motif is nothing short of savvy business practice. Each office, in its unique location, is fitted with the same logo: the two names of the doctors, overlaid with a surfboard and blooming hibiscus flowers. It’s extremely identifiable in locations that do not typically identify with coastal life.
But, for Parker and Moore, the theme goes beyond the paint colors and the decorative accents in their offices. The laid-back feel is something that is embodied by all work and practice within the three locations. “We have a team of talented individuals who love what they do. That shows in the atmosphere of our office,” Parker notes.
Nearly every detail of their operation conveys the same relaxed theme. For example, give any of the three offices a call and, if placed on hold, the sound of “Surfing USA” by the Beach Boys is played through the reception desk.
“We pride ourselves on the atmosphere we provide for patients,” Moore says. “There are enough stressful aspects of life. We don’t want to be one of them. Instead, we want to be a place where patients and families look forward to visiting.” OP
Lori Sichtermann is a freelance writer for Orthodontic Products. She can be reached at [email protected].
