Warmth & Whimsy

Making Kids and Teens Feel Comfortable at Stellar Kids Dentistry and Stellar Family Orthodontics

Dr. Paul Kahlon and Sonu Lamba of Stellar Kids Dentistry and Stellar Family Orthodontics discuss how their long-standing partnership with Burkhart Dental Supply has helped them grow their practice to include multiple pediatric dental and orthodontic offices.

“My kids absolutely love going to the dentist,” says Andrea, a Burkhart Associate. They have been going to Stellar Kids Dentistry since the oldest, Joey, got his first tooth.

It might be the small door he gets to go through when his name is called. It might be the kid-friendly movie playing on the TV overhead while he is in the dental chair. Or it could be the general warmth and charm that practically emanates from doctors Paul Kahlon and Sonu Lamba, owners of Stellar Kids Dentistry and Stellar Family Orthodontics. We had the chance to interview them about their growing practices and the secret to their success. During our visit with them, it became immediately apparent that they love what they do.

 

 

They started their first practice in Mukilteo, Washington more than a decade ago. “We’ve been with Burkhart since the beginning of our practice over 11 years ago,”says Dr. Paul.

“Our rep Steve was so involved in designing our first office, and Burkhart has equipped all of our locations since.” They credit Steve with an impressive level of customer service. “He wasn’t just interested in supplying us with the equipment… he was in there with a design… and we hadn’t even committed to work with him.”

The partnership with Burkhart continues to this day with Account Manager Niki Allan. “Their customer service is unbelievable – our current rep Niki is so responsive and goes above and beyond to help us.”

Dr. Lamba notes that Burkhart’s personalized service has saved them money in other ways too.

“Niki finds any rebates or discounts for us based on the products we use. This ends up saving us more than just individual product prices would.”

The dentists also appreciate how Burkhart prioritizes their equipment needs. Says Dr. Lamba, “If something breaks that could impact patient care, Burkhart will respond right away to fix it.” With Burkhart’s partnership and support, Drs. Paul and Lamba have successfully expanded their practice to its current size. “Burkhart allows us to focus on taking care of our patients and staff,” says Dr. Paul.

Over the last eleven years, the business has gradually expanded to include 3 pediatric dental offices and 2 orthodontic offices, the newest of which opened in May of 2023 in Mukilteo.

 

 

“For us, It’s all about that patient experience and that parent experience. And that really matters to us. So, we like to have time for all our managers and our admin to be able to relate to parents, connect with them on a one-to-one level,” says Dr. Lamba. To accomplish this, they opened a Patient Support Center in order to have centralized services for billing and scheduling to support all their locations. The team at Stellar are so focused on creating an inviting space that they put incredible intention and thought into all aspects of the designs of their offices. They started by creating spaces with colorful, whimsical designs. From the brightly colored aliens on the windows at their Mill Creek location to a reception area with planets on the rug and stars on the lights at Everett, they wanted to make sure kids feel welcome there, long into their teen years.

“Our offices are not sort of nursery-ish, or toy-boxy; they’re fun and colorful, but one where we can retain patients into their adolescence and teen years.”

Their largest office also has a semi-private and private operatory for kids who need a quieter, calmer environment. In fact, Dr. Kahlon considers all five senses when designing a dental office. He takes into account sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. “(I) try to think through like all five senses, you know, the acoustics I mentioned, but also, how’s this office going to smell when you walk in or, how colorful or bright is it? Is that what I want?”

 

 

Ergonomics, traffic flow, operatory design, and even acoustics were considered. Although they are limited due to needing cleanable spaces, touches such as carpeting in the orthodontic offices, awnings, plants, and pillows are all incorporated for sound control. And these pillows also double as a valuable tool to put under a child’s knees if the chair is too big.

With a mission to provide exceptional patient care and experience, it’s no wonder this dental group was recently Voted Best in the PNW by the Seattle Times.

 

“We want people to come in and feel like wow, this is so cool. Like, kids are wanted here. We’re wanted here. This is our dental family.”

To learn more about Stellar Kids Dentistry visit StellarKids.com

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Written by Dawn Kahl

Published in Catalyst – Q1 2024.

Category: Office Planning & Design

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