Office Tour
New to Pediatric Dental Center? Welcome! Click the circle photos below to take a quick tour of our office.
To see more about how our new building took shape, scroll down and take a look around!
Coca-Cola Building Renovation
In 2017, Pediatric Dental Center of Georgia moved to the historic Coca-Cola Building at 820 Love Avenue, Suite A in Tifton, Georgia. This project was a complete renovation and restoration project revitalizing the original 1936 Coca-Cola Building, breathing life into an important historic building in the downtown area.
Join us as we walk through this amazing renovation process! Below we have provided pictures from each area of the building from the beginning of the demolition process to the finished project. It is quite spectacular to see!
The Check-in Area features original plaster walls as well as original plaster crown molding. Original crown molding is definitely not something you see everyday! We have kept as many original features as possible in all areas of the building.
The Front Office Area was originally one large room with one small private office. We have updated this area to include a Check-in Area for patients as well as three private offices, one of which features original hardwood ceilings. There is also an original fall out shelter located under the front office area. We will be safe in the event of a natural disaster!
Waiting Room
We thought all of you who remember looking through the front windows of the Coca-Cola Building and watching the Coke bottles pass on the conveyor belt would be interested in this history. We found out during demolition and through numerous accounts from locals that the wall across from the large windows is not an original wall to the building. We believe the original area held the conveyor belt where the Coke bottles were washed, sterilized, filled, and capped. The concrete block wall was later added to block noise from the warehouse to the office space near the front windows.
This is our main waiting room in the new PDC office. It is an exciting place for our patients and their parents to feel welcome and comfortable. This area was completely designed by Meredith Rutland and is a one-of-a-kind build out which features an incredible themed wall with a television and book nook as well as a fan-favorite kid-sized door to enter the hygiene bay. There is also a playhouse and slide for the kids to enjoy while their parents complete any required paperwork.
The old, dark curtains have been removed and replaced with tons of natural light in this area. Our pediatric patients are full of life and we wanted the main waiting area to reflect their excitement as well as be comfortable for their parents.
Hygiene Bay
This area of the new office was the most fun to watch progress. The original Coca-Cola Building consisted of a large warehouse area; however the previous tenant dropped the ceilings and studded out the walls therefore covering up most of the original masonry and hardwood ceilings as well as the large, north-facing windows.
During the demolition phase all non-original carpentry was removed from the interior of the building to make way for the future hygiene bay and entertainment area. We took out 4 (yes, 4!) ceilings before we reached the original wood floor joists and massive steel beams. You can see the amazing difference of "out-with-the-1980's and back-to-the-original" in the pictures below!
The hygiene bay is the heart of our office. It features an outdoor park theme complete with clouds on the ceiling, 3-dimensional trees, park benches, outdoor light poles, hand constructed and painted flowers, a brush up station which mimics two tree swings, an indoor playground and so much more!
The Clouds & Hot Air Balloons
From start to finish the clouds were the most difficult part of the new office but also the most rewarding. After many hours of meetings, discussions and engineering evaluations, we finally settled upon how to construct and build the clouds which would be suspended above the six hygiene chairs in the hygiene bay.
To be able to get the exact dimensions and shapes needed for the clouds, Dr. Luke's wife, Jeanine, rolled out butcher paper on the floor as shown in picture three below. Then she hand drew the clouds as they should be constructed. Exact measurements were necessary due to the placement of the televisions above the dental chairs as well as the dental light which would be suspended from the ceiling.
A company out of Atlanta who built the clouds out of foam and sprayed them with a hard outer coating similar to what one would use as a spray-in truck bed liner. The clouds were then painted with fire-retardant paint for safety purposes and suspended from the ceiling. Safety was our #1 concern with the designing, constructing and suspending of the clouds. First, the fire-retardant paint is important and secondly, two grown men could stand on top of the clouds while suspended and the clouds would not budge!
Hot air balloons were added to give the ceiling area dimension and color - and are now one of the patients' favorite parts of the entire office!
The Flowers
The flowers are another one-of-a kind, hand-drawn, Meredith Rutland original. As you can see from photo one, Meredith simply placed butcher paper on the wall and hand-drew the flowers and grass areas. She and Jeanine then cut out the patterns and gave them to the framing crew. The framing crew cut out every single pattern of the flowers with wood and then nailed it to the wall as shown in photo two.
The painting crew came in and hand-painted the flowers and grass area to Meredith's specifications. Both the framing and painting crews were EXCELLENT, paying attention to every little detail which resulted in a fabulous job!
The Trees & Brush-Up Station
In order to complete the “PDC Park” theme, the hygiene bay needed trees. The framing crew built the trees from the ground up. It was so fun to watch the trees come to life and add additional height to the area.
One of our favorite parts of the hygiene bay is the “Brush-up station” which consists of two sinks that have been suspended from the above tree to mimic tree swings. An added bonus is the airplane with the “Brush-Up Station” banner flying behind. Another patient favorite!
Check-Out Area
As we began planning the layout of our new office one feature was very important to us: we did not want cross traffic resulting in congestion and confusion. Therefore, the patients enter at the front of the building and exit at the rear of the building. No need to walk through the same area twice. You will be able to exit toward 10th Street or toward the main parking lot / 8th Street.
The check-out area also features our PDC Shop. Here you will find essential children's dental supplies for sale from toothpaste and electric toothbrushes to mouth guards, to PDC t-shirts and everything in between!
Treasure Wall
The check-out area features one of the most exciting parts of our dental visit: going on a treasure hunt! Our designer extraordinaire, Meredith Rutland, designed this Treasure Wall with just a pen and paper. As we progressed through the building process, measurements were taken and exact construction began.
The treasure wall was hand painted by Dr. Luke's wife, Jeanine Webster, and one of her best friends and local artist, Leisa Wuthrich.
Each patient is given a skeleton key and is able to choose one door of their liking to unlock and hunt for treasure. The sliding ladder adds to the excitement as the patients are able to climb and choose a box they would not be able to normally reach. This is a complete one-of-a-kind treasure wall filled with toys and surprises behind every door!
Treatment Area
Treatment is not a scary time at the PDC. It is an opportunity to learn, experience, and implement all the new skills our patients have acquired. Most of our patients love to show mom or dad their new skills!
We have four spacious treatment rooms. We always encourage our parents to accompany their child to any area of our office. This includes the treatment area and therefore we have provided ample space for the parents to be comfortable in the treatment room. There are televisions above all four dental chairs.
It never fails - as soon as a patient sits down for treatment - he or she needs to use the restroom. And we completely understand! Little ones may be a little nervous or anxious so we have situated a restroom just steps away for those situations.
Upstairs Offices
The upstairs offices transformed from drab and dreary to bright and cheerful through the renovation process. The old carpet was removed and the original hardwood floors were exposed and refinished. How wonderful to not only be able to keep the original wood floor but also for the floor to be the main attraction in this space!
Dr. Luke and his wife Jeanine (business administrator of the PDC) have their offices in this space. This has been a fantastic area for them to be able to work together while keeping the kids close by.
Family Area
If you visited us at our old office then odds are you have seen Dr. Luke's kids run up and down the hallway, sneak toys from the treasure chest, walk around with a handful of gloves, play in the "Fun Room" or have a snack after school. Family is very important to Dr. Luke. Therefore, we created a space in the new office where his kids can relax and enjoy but not be in the middle of the dental action.
This is our family area; a place where Dr. Luke's kids are able to come after school, say hello to Dad downstairs, and then head upstairs to have a snack, complete their homework, relax, watch television, take a nap, or even have a reading lesson all while Mom works just a few feet away in her office. This area has been such a blessing to our family so we can still be together but not interrupting the clinic area.
Break Room and Kitchen
Two important parts of a comfortable and reinvigorating office for the employees (which we were missing in our old office) were a break room and kitchen. These areas are a dream come true for us! The smiles and bonding in this area grow us more into a work family with each gathering and build up our team immensely!
To begin the renovation of this space, the old carpet was removed which exposed the beautiful, original hard wood floors. The hardwood floors were refinished, the original plaster walls were restored and an original half bath was updated. A fully functioning kitchen was added as well as a large farmhouse table and sitting area complete with a couch, coffee table, and swivel and side chairs.
Typically these areas are used for office meetings and office lunches but occasionally one may find a Bible study, craft night or even a baby shower hosted here!
Sterilization Areas
Here at PDC, cleanliness is everything. Therefore we incorporated not one but two sterilization areas into our office. Both spaces feature state-of-the-art sterilization for infection control through instrument and equipment sterilization.
We are committed to providing a safe and healthful workplace for all employees and patients through compliance with applicable OSHA standards.
