From Dental Practice Report, Volume 15 Number 7
by Renee Knight

THE EARLY DAYS WEREN'T EASY, BUT THEY SURE WERE WORTH IT.
Drs. Lawrence J. Puccini and Susan A. Roberge commuted back and forth, splitting their time between another doctor's two practices in Massachusetts and building their own dentistry home in Bedford, N.H.

The transition and the two-and-a-half hour commute began in 1984, after the newlyweds had been married a year and out of school five. They developed a finely tuned schedule, putting at least one of them at the Bedford practice six days a week. After about a year of the back-and-forth, both left the Massachusetts practice, ready to permanently settle into their own office space.

But in those early days, it wasn't the commute and the long hours that proved most challenging: It was finding the perfect location.

"How do you build a practice from scratch when you're new to the area and don't really know anybody? How do you get started?," Puccini, 53, says. "We were open long hours and lots of days."

No matter how long the days got, they had each other for support--an advantage they'd maintained since they shared cube space at Case Western Reserve University. They met in lab during their first year of dental school, Puccini recalls, where they instantly clicked.

There was never any question about what would happen once they opened their own practice. It seemed natural to work together, and financially it just made sense.

"Without burning ourselves out, we just could make it work," Puccini says. "That was the key to our success. From day one we were able to offer every day of the week and we were able to market a male and a female dentist."

Even with the built-in support system, they still needed patients. Puccini joined the chamber of commerce and immersed himself in the community. Both doctors spent their time getting to know their patients. Puccini remembers eating lunch with patients in the extra operatories and even pushing twin babies around the block while Roberge completed their mother's dental work. These small touches attracted people and kept them coming back.

Back then, the couple accepted all insurance assignments and collected 20 percent of the fee. While that initially helped build the practice, it drove overhead costs to about 75 percent. Not so anymore. The once insurance-driven practice now only accepts Delta, shifting the focus from high-volume dentistry to treating the patient's whole health.

"We worked on our exams. We worked on every aspect of our practice," Puccini says. "We started to communicate and help patients understand the value of excellent dentistry."

The practice continues to evolve, undergoing significant changes in 2006 after Roberge broke her leg. She needed six months to recover. At the same time, another staff member took time off to be with her family. Suddenly only three people were left to run the office, and adjustments needed to happen quickly for the practice to survive.

The staff cross-trained and although it was a struggle, the effort changed the practice for the better. Today Puccini's staff provides more support, whether it's a hygienist working the front desk or an assistant completing bleaching interviews. With Roberge, 54, only working part time, that extra support is crucial.

Puccini also sees fewer patients each day and offers longer, more comprehensive exams, bringing a practice that has thrived in times of change full circle. And through it all, helping patients, giving them a more confident smile or alleviating their pain, had kept Puccini's love for dentistry strong.

"I consider myself a service," he says. "I want to serve my clients the best that I can. That gives me energy. I get energized by doing what I do and that's why I do it."