Jumping in with both feet

Viva Smile is a tech-forward restorative and cosmetic dental clinic that has adopted digital smile design workflows with great success. Established by Karen Baghdasaryan and his wife, Gohar Hovsepyan, this certified DSD Clinic found implementation worked best when focusing on team empowerment and training.

"When Karen introduced me to DSD, my first thought was, 'wow, we absolutely need to do this!' Susanna explains how she was inspired by the concept right from the start. Having worked in dentistry since the age of 16, she was familiar with the day to day challenges of a modern dental practice. Once she heard about DSD she recognized that it went beyond the scope of traditional dentistry and was something “new and exciting” to learn.

“In normal dental offices, the workflow is always so hectic... but in our clinic, everything runs smoothly because we focus on quality thanks to DSD,” she explains. She highlights how DSD shifted the clinic's focus to quality and teamwork, moving away from busy, traditional workflows.

“Our team works efficiently, with each member knowing their role in the DSD process,” she continues, adding that this has been one of the great payoffs of the clinic’s dedication to learning and implementation. She explains that while the team is very focused during the day, it is in the moments like preparing the clinic every morning by lighting the candles and having a coffee together that contributes to the warm and enjoyable working atmosphere.

With the clinic’s focus being on quality and long-term treatment plans, Susanna notes how this has enriched their collaboration, knowledge and a sense of every team member working together to deliver the best possible results for the patients.

The personal connection

One of the things that inspired Susanna to persevere with the learning and implementation phase of DSD was the transformation of a particular patient, which has become her favorite case. At the outset, this patient had very little confidence and came across as self conscious and introverted.

Once her treatment was complete, Susanna noticed the dramatic change in her demeanor. “After her DSD treatment she was like a different person, smiling and talking to me in a way that she hadn’t done before,” she explains. “This case made me realize the powerful impact of DSD and allowed me to explain treatment to other patients with more emotion and passion,” she continues.

Susanna has not only seen big changes in the quality of life of the patients, but also underwent a personal transformation since working with DSD, becoming a more confident and knowledgeable version of herself.

While she initially found it challenging to explain DSD to patients, guiding them through the first and second appointments has become her favorite part of the process. “I have become a lot more confident with this,” she explains. She adds that not every patient is ready for a new approach and may have different ideas about dentistry, while “many are excited about the different way we do things here,” she adds. “Some patients do their own research and see that other dental offices are not the same - they see the value of DSD treatment and choose our clinic,” she continues.