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Husband and wife team Dr Lutz andClaudia Bachmann have traded lifein the hustle and bustle of Bavaria

to set-up an orthodontic practice half wayaround the world in Auckland.The couple sold their 14-year-old busi-

ness in Germany where they had a largeand successful eight chair practice overthree floors in Donauwörth, an hour northof Munich and moved to New Zealand.Dr Bachmann said the move was moti-

vated by change and lifestyle reasons:“We decided to leave Germany because allorthodontics there is government funded,which meant there was a lot of bureau-cracy to work through. Our children wereall under six at the time, so changingcountries was easier at that age and weconsidered New Zealand to be a betterplace for children to be raised.”

They intended to set up a practice fromscratch. However, while looking forvacant premises, they decided to purchasea one-chair practice from another ortho-dontist as the opportunity provided a jumpstart for them.“Purchasing a practice gave us a base to

work from for a year and patients to treatwhile we looked for a larger location thatsuited our objectives” Dr Bachmann said.The search for new premises resulted in

a 300 square metre site on the groundfloor of a three storey office block 500mfrom the existing location being leased.“We then started to look around for help

with designing and building the new prac-tice,” Dr Bachmann said. “I had designedthe old practice in Germany myself andchosen all the colours and finishes when Iwas starting out. Now that we’re at a time in

life financially where we can afford to enlistthe services of professionals, we did so inorder to ensure we got the best possibleoutcome functionally and aesthetically.“I’d managed the interior design and fit

out of our previous practice but this blankcanvas enabled us to get the best func-tional and aesthetic outcomes throughprofessional advice.”The Bachmanns were recommended to

Australian company Levitch Design Asso-ciates [LDA] who are experts in dentalpractice design. They liked what they sawon the internet and contacted Anne Lev-itch, who was able to meet the couplewithin days from the first enquiry and theyengaged LDA after the first meeting.The Bachmanns completed LDA’s

extensive questionnaire that is designed todocument all their requirements, special

surgery | DESIGN

Bachmann Orthodontics opensmodern, high tech practice in Albany

By Joseph Allbeury

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November/December 2011 Australasian Dental Practice 193

requests and provide insight into the desired workflow of thepractice based on the individual needs of each practitioner.The clinical brief to LDA included three consultation rooms

fully equipped with dental chairs plus an open plan area withanother four chairs. They wanted a separate room for the OPGand Ceph. and another to take impressions. The Bachmannsemploy their own technicians and make all their own appliancesin house, therefore they wanted a large lab area which also housedsterilisation, storage and various other elements.Operationally, the brief included requirements for a central office

to oversee the whole practice and also introduced a ‘sub-waitingarea’ where parents could sit during their children’s treatment.”The couple went to Australia for two days to work through the

majority of the layout of the practice and to fine-tune theirrequirements. Decisions on the final floor plan and specificationsfor colours and finishes were subsequently completed by phoneand email and during a second trip to Sydney.“It was important to us to spend time on getting the design and

finishes right before we started building,” Dr Bachmann said.The Bachmanns hired ‘Cubicon’, a local shopfitter for the

build, using LDA’s detailed drawings. That process took threeweeks and then the actual build was completed in just six weeks.“LDA was in close contact with Cubicon and us throughout the

process,” Dr Bachmann said. “The fact they were based in Aus-tralia didn’t matter at all. The project went very smoothly and wewere impressed with their professionalism.”

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194 Australasian Dental Practice November/December 2011

The couple imported seven Dome orthodontic chairs from theUS for the treatment rooms. Cabinetry adjacent to the chairs, inthe lab and sterilisation area, plus the instrument carts and alldental machinery was imported from Germany.The relatively new Vatech OPG and Ceph. from the practice

they had purchased in New Zealand was retained and moved tothe new location.“As a brand new practice, we were able to incorporate all the

latest technology and now operate a paperless environment. Wehave computers everywhere, digital x-ray and we even have a3Shape scanner to digitise models and impressions - rather thanstoring them.”Dr Bachmann said that although treatment is similar, working

in New Zealand is very different to Germany.

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196 Australasian Dental Practice November/December 2011

“Practising here is quite different to back home,” Dr Bachmannsaid. “The experience can be more intense here. In Germany, thegovernment pays for everything, so parents are not so engaged inthe treatment you are providing. However in New Zealand, it’s allprivate so we’re under a lot more scrutiny from parents becausethey are paying the bill. There is more accountability on us due tothe interaction but we actually really enjoy this aspect.”This led Dr Bachmann to request a “sub waiting area” in the

design for parents to use during their children’s treatment.“In Germany, parents had limited interest in being chairside.

Here, parents want to be very involved, so we we created a ‘subwaiting area’ adjacent to the open plan treatment area where theycan sit and be more involved.”The sub waiting area allows parents to still monitor their child

but be sufficiently out of the way to allow treatment to proceedwithout distraction.The Bachmann’s are really happy with the outcome of their

new practice “The workflow and functionality are similar to ourpractice in Germany, but the layout and colour scheme are quitedifferent. The colour scheme is dynamic and fresh and we lovethe overall look.”Wayne Allsop from LDA created the Bachmann Orthodontics

brand. He worked closely with Jeremy Edghill from LDA's inte-riors team to ensure congruence with the interiors palette. Thebrand was implemented across all major touch points includingstationery, signage and website.

Dr Bachmann said it was great to work with a company likeLDA that got their concepts and needs immediately and describesthe experience as fun and enjoyable. “LDA delivered an excellentresult for us. We’ve seen good growth in the new practice and thepatients respond well to what we’ve done. My wife and I enjoyworking in this high tech modern environment and we are lovingNew Zealand and enjoying life as Kiwis more everyday.”

SummaryThe Practice

Principals Dr Claudia Bachmann and Dr Lutz Bachmann

The Practice Bachmann Orthodontics

Type of Practice Specialist orthodontic

Location Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

Size 300 square metres

No of chairs 7

The Team

Design Levitch Design Associates

Senior Designer Jeremy Edghill (LDA)

Graphic Designer Wayne Allsop (LDA)

Web Designer Kelsy Kramer (LDA)

Construction Cubicon and Sage

Project Manager Cubicon

Equipment

Units Dome Innovation

Sterilisation SciCan Statim 5000s withMiele G7881 washer disinfector

OPG Vatech PaX 400

Model Scanner 3Shape R700 3D scanner

Compressor Dürr Duo Tandem DS

Suction Dürr VS 900

Software Orthotrac

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