TPD Smiles_Orthodontics: ADA Design Innovation Award finalist

By Olivia Anderson

Timothy Brister, D.D.S., and his wife Heather Brister initially wanted to open TPD Smiles Orthodontics in McKinney, Texas, with the intention of Dr. Brister stepping slightly back from pediatrics and into orthodontics training.

At first, they turned part of the general dentistry office into a space for orthodontics, but the endeavor immediately took off. It happened so quickly that Dr. Brister decided to hire an orthodontist to keep up with the demand.

This also meant the Bristers needed a larger space for the practice. With the help of an architectural firm, they opened a new orthodontics building in June 2022. The clinic’s design took finalist honors in the Large New Buildout category of the 2023 ADA Design Innovation Awards competition.

The annual competition showcases the best dental practices in esthetic appeal, function and design. Judges from the ADA Council on Dental Practice narrowed entries down to the top three in each category. From Oct. 1-31, voting was open to the dental community.

Although the explosion in popularity was overwhelming, Ms. Brister said, it was also a fortunate problem to have.

TPD Smiles Orthodontics took finalist honors in the Large New Buildout category of the 2023 ADA Design Innovation Awards competition.

The tooth-brushing station design was originally inspired by a “steampunk” style restaurant bathroom.

TPD Smiles Orthodontics is approximately 5,000 square feet.

The concrete and exposed metal is balanced with wood accents and carpet.

Those who are waiting can grab some coffee beneath the staircase or explore the kids’ space, which has a large metal wall with magnet words to rearrange.

The dividing wall between patient chairs is made to look like concrete.

Technology highlights the practice, particularly with the server room’s eye-catching LED lights that accent the server racks.

The two-story reception room features a large chandelier and high-backed leather chairs to create a welcoming atmosphere.

“He was going to dabble in the ortho on the side, [but] now we have two full-time orthodontists in this practice. We’ve got 10 chairs and two consult rooms, so it turned into a great problem but that’s what got it started,” she said.

Ms. Brister, who earned a Ph.D. in special education and previously worked in public education, now works in the dental offices to take care of business matters. In regard to the new building, Ms. Brister managed meetings with the contractors, architects and the general building of the project.

At around 5,000 square feet, TPD Smiles Orthodontics boasts a modern, industrial-style design with touches of warmth for balance.

“We’ve got a lot of metal accents, exposed steel, that kind of thing. It still has a lot of softness to it because we added a lot of wood,” she said. “The dividing walls between our chairs are made to look like concrete, it’s got a lot of glass in it, and all of that makes it sound kind of harsh, but there’s a lot of softness we added with wood accents and carpets that tones all of that down.”

One area that especially sports the industrial theme is the tooth-brushing station. This room features industrial brass bars surrounding the mirrors, which Ms. Brister said was inspired by a restaurant bathroom. Their original idea was to use cast iron pipe material, but after seeing the inspiration photo, the architect suggested brass instead to offset the rest of the wall.

“I think we saw that design in a restaurant bathroom or something and had this steampunk kind of feel to it. We took a picture of it, and we gave it to the architect when they were drawing up the design,” Ms. Brister said. “They were like, ‘That’s really cool, we can incorporate that.’”

There’s also the kids’ area, complete with a metal wall and magnet words to arrange and the coffee bar beneath the staircase that boasts a concrete tabletop and metal frame, as well as floating backlit shelves adorned with mugs and tchotchkes.

These days, Dr. Brister still operates his pediatrics practice, which is just down the street from the orthodontics building, and both he and Ms. Brister manage the buildings.

The 2024 Design Innovation Awards are sponsored by ADA Member Advantage and Panacea Financial. The call for entries for the 2024 competition will open in June. Do you have a winning practice? Stay tuned for updates.