Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice

Dr. Bradford Allen has owned and operated Allen Dental Group in Eagle River, Alaska for several years.

With its location, many patients and families make a long commute from Anchorage to Eagle River for their dental care. To best serve these patients, Dr. Allen opted to convert a conveniently-located car wash into a new practice.

Dr. Bradford Allen has owned and operated Allen Dental Group in Eagle River, Alaska for several years. With its location, many patients and families make a long commute from Anchorage to Eagle River for their dental care. To best serve these patients, Dr. Allen opted to convert a conveniently-located car wash into a new practice.

Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice 17

Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice 16

A bright and inviting reception area greets patients.

Dr. Allen had already worked with Burkhart on a previous remodel of the Eagle River location, so he felt confident in going forward with a new project. The new Anchorage location was originally a car wash. It was a unique project to convert a car wash into a dental practice, Equipment Specialist Louis Ullrich said.

“He had a vision that the huge bay doors would turn into huge windows and would shed natural light throughout the clinic. Dr. Allen and I had worked together on the Eagle River project, so we spent hours going over the details of the clinic.”

“We meticulously looked at multiple layout floor plan options until we came out with the perfect plan. We looked at where each outlet was placed, where each sink would be in each room, etc.,” Ullrich said. “The attention to detail was quite miraculous. We even laid out multiple rooms so we could measure down to the inch where each cabinet would be placed, the chair would sit, and where each outlet would be.”

Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice 15

The seven operatory practice is decked out with top-of-the-line A-dec and Vatech equipment.

The new location is approximately 3,500 square-feet and has seven operatories, making the space comfortable for staff and patients and is filled with top-of-the-line A-dec and Vatech equipment.

Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice 19

Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice 18

The new build offers a spacious waiting area and a large amount of natural light coming from the converted car wash windows.

The project was not without its challenges, as construction was set to begin shortly after the pandemic started in 2020 in addition to converting a car wash into a dental practice. Despite this unique challenge, Ullrich said he’s satisfied with the end result.

“Seeing the beautiful clinic and Dr. Allen being satisfied with the finished end product was the most rewarding.”

It is the nicest clinic in Anchorage and possibly Alaska. “Only our Burkhart team could put this all together for him. It turned out great!” Ullrich said.

“Going from one to two practices is very challenging when it comes to managing systems and communication,” Dr. Allen said. “But, we are developing better and more efficient symptoms between the two offices. It has been fun to see the growth from within the existing team; they have really stepped up and embraced the challenges.”

To learn more about Allen Dental Group visit AllenDentalAK.com

Converting a Car Wash into a Dental Practice 20


Written by Madison Miller

Published in CatalystQ3 2023.

Category: Office Planning & Design

Back to Articles