Water Tower Dental Care: ADA Design Innovation Award winner

by Jean Williams

Dr. Daniel Aneszko’s dental practice got a new lease on life with perks – money for substantial upgrades – when he renewed a deal to rent his current space for another 15 years.

He had spent a decade practicing in the space and put a lot of thought into whether he should sign another lease for the space located in downtown Chicago at Water Tower Place, an iconic shopping mall and office complex in the city’s Magnificent Mile.

After drawn out negotiations, his landlord sweetened the pot by promising to provide for long-needed renovations, if Dr. Aneszko would keep his practice, Water Tower Dental Care, in the space long term. “They gave me about $130,000 of leasehold improvements,” Dr. Aneszko said.

He signed on the dotted line, so to speak, and applied the improvement resource so well that the posh outcome caught the eyes of voters in the ADA’s second annual Design Innovation Awards. They voted Water Tower Dental Care the winner in the “remodel design category.”

After he signed the deal in February 2020, Dr. Aneszko was ready and eager to refresh his space. Then chaos ensued – the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Aneszko rose to the challenge with vigor and ready foresight. “The timing was actually perfect because we were shut down for three months,” he said. “That gave me time to do all the remodeling that I had to, knowing that we’re shutting down because of COVID. So, I was able to implement design strategies to help mitigate any risks.”

Part of the challenge in remodeling the space resided in the building’s age. It was built in the 1970s, which meant such nagging issues as outdated HVAC structures needed to be updated. “I’d been complaining for years about the airflow in the office and the heaters were really poor,” Dr. Aneszko said. “So, I had them replace all of the wall heaters [and] all of the ceiling VAV boxes that help increase the air circulation; and, we put HEPA filters in all of the rooms.”

Located in downtown Chicago’s historic Magnificent Mile, Water Tower Dental Care decided on a comprehensive redesign as part of its lease renegotiation. The results ended in substantial upgrades to both infrastructure, interior design and decor. Space was limited for the 2,591-square-foot practice, so every square inch was planned out and utilized.

Practice owner Daniel Aneszko, D.D.S, said that design and esthetics were really important to “create a space that his team would enjoy working in.” Some of the upgrades included new lighting, flooring, wall coverings, paint and new window treatments and solar blinds.

The practice also features seven operatories, a consultation room, a sterilization lab, two bathrooms, private office and mechanical room.

Upgrades to the clinical rooms included new (A-dec) and refurbished dental chairs and KaVo Dental wall-mounted X-ray arms. The practice redesign also included major upgrades to outdated HVAC systems, including wall heaters, ceiling variable air volume (VAV) boxes to help increase air circulation and HEPA filters in all the rooms.

This consultation room offers a private, inviting space to talk about examination results or treatment planning with patients.

slide 7 WTDC CAM and porcelain finishing

Utilizing advanced technology for patients was an important consideration for the practice as well. Some of the practice’s capabilities include 3D CT imaging, CEREC, Digital Smile Design, enamel remineralization, iTero digital oral impressions, oral DNA salivary testing, VELscope oral cancer screening and others.