About Our Mt Pleasant Dental Office
Learn More About Our Dental Office’s History!
When most Americans think of the fall of 2008, they recall the financial meltdown that rocked the U.S. economy. For Drs. Tamara Caouette and Andrew Gibson, it marked the opening of Smileworks in Mount Pleasant! Over 15 years later, our dental office has achieved incredible success and a well-deserved place in the community, including winning the Dental Office Design Competition 2010 for small practices. Interested in learning more about how we came to be? Keep reading below.
Start of the Journey
Not only did Smileworks become a reality during this challenging time, but the planning and construction occurred while Drs. Caouette and Gibson were living and practicing in Maryland. They chose to make the move to Mt Pleasant after three visits to the community during the summer of 2007.
The local climate, proximity to the ocean, the beautiful and historic city of Charleston, and the growing professional and family population ultimately convinced them that it would be an ideal location for a dental practice that they could keep going for many, many years to come.
The Couple Behind Smileworks
Our tried-and-true husband and wife team first met in high school while attending Mercersburg Academy. Dr. Caouette went on to study biology at Franklin and Marshall College, while Dr. Gibson studied biology at Washington and Lee University.
Together, they attended the West Virginia University School of Dentistry, where they earned their dental degrees in 2001. They worked in various practices in the Maryland area before ultimately building their shared practice, Smileworks, here in South Carolina. And the rest is history!
Bringing Smileworks into Reality
The entire planning and construction processes occurred while the doctors maintained their busy practice schedules in Maryland. In fact, they were able to make the 600-mile trip to Mt Pleasant only once during construction. Planning for the office was also handled long-distance since their dental office design team was based in Nebraska.
Ultimately, some of the top priorities were a well-planned flow and lots of ergonomic considerations. These have helped make both our dentists and team members much more productive and less stressed at the end of each workday. Visual and acoustic privacy were also greatly enhanced by “layering” spaces, from public functions in the front of the office to private functions at the back.
Finishing Touches
Technology integration is a key office component, and this goal included the placement of individual flat-screen TV monitors at every patient chair and a clinical workstation in each treatment room.
Contemporary furnishings added a comfortable, eclectic touch to the updated traditional interior scheme. After coming in, our Smileworks patients often comment that the environment feels more like a spa than a dental office!
Looking Ahead
Today, Smileworks has an entire team of talented and passionate dentists who continue to pursue excellence every day in the name of helping patients enjoy happier, healthier teeth. They also regularly give back to society by serving as volunteers with the Give Back a Smile program, which (through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) offers no-cost smile makeovers to selected victims of domestic violence. We've been a part of this amazing community for well over a decade now and can't wait to see what the next decade brings.
