Starting a dental practice was a dream Jody Schilling had planned since college. On June 1, the Mosinee, Wis. native realized that goal, just weeks after completing her periodontal residency and returning to Madison. On that day, Jody Schilling, DDS, opened in the Arbor Gate building on Todd Drive. Schilling, 32, periodontist and president, started her practice with husband Sachin Tuli, 35, who has been alongside her every step of the way — albeit not always physically.
For seven years, the couple maintained a long-distance relationship while Schilling attended dental school at the University of Michigan, followed by a periodontal residency at the University of Minnesota. Tuli, meanwhile, is an international business instructor with the UW-Madison School of Business. The separation may not have been ideal, but it offered the couple a lot of time to shape their future. “We are planners by nature and have been planning this for years,” said Tuli. “We collected photos from magazines for design ideas. We drew, redrew, and redrew our floor plans. At some point, we hoped it would be worth it.”
In their minds, they had two options. They could start an independent practice, or they could associate with another dentist or dental group. “Associating is a great path for many, but you don’t get equity initially,” Schilling said. “Also, if the association doesn’t work out, non-compete contracts might prevent you from practicing in your area for a while. So the only option we saw was to go out on our own.”
After seven years of school, Schilling racked up $160,000 in educational loans, but she also received about $150,000 in merit scholarships and grants during that time. “We actually feel kind of fortunate,” said Tuli. “Some graduates have all that debt.”
As a periodontal specialist, Schilling treats patients who might have periodontal (gum) disease. She also handles specialized surgical aspects, such as bone grafting, implants, and sinus lifts. “I help people retain their teeth,” she said. “Periodontal disease is treatable, but not curable.” And gum disease, she explained, can cause systemic problems. Diabetes, for example, has been found to be directly related. “Often, I’m the first to diagnose diabetes,” she said.
Starting up a dental office is not cheap. To lighten the load, they contacted health care finance companies that look at — and understand — educational debt. In the end, they chose Bank of America.
The location, Arbor Place, fit their desire to be centrally located. Their new office includes five exam rooms, called operatories, though only two are currently being used. Not surprisingly, the majority of costs were spent on technological bells and whistles.
Ideal Builders handled construction, which required that special lines be brought in for nitrous gas, oxygen, and water. The couple also upgraded ceiling panels in consideration of patients who spend a good amount of time looking skyward. Television monitors above the chairs were installed for either educational or entertainment (i.e. movies) purposes. “We wanted to think about the little things,” Schilling said.
In all, the buildout — plus working capital — cost about $425,000, including a $30,000 personal investment.
For now, Schilling handles staff training, while Tuli takes care of marketing, the website and payroll — in the evenings, when he’s not teaching. The couple held an open house in May to introduce the practice to the dental community, and also conducts “lunch & learns” around town, discussing health and hygiene in dental offices. It seems to be working, as she is already caring for more than 30 new patients a month.
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