New denture clinic is “green”

The modular building housing the Beachton Denture Clinic has been a fixture on Highway 319 south since the mid-1980s. Recently, the modular building was moved a short distance from its old location to make way for a new and modern denture clinic that is using the latest “green” architectural designs for improving energy efficiency, as well as focusing on a healthier environment for doctors, staff and patients.
Dental Surgeon Dr. William McFatter purchased the building in 1987 and has been doing removable prosthetics (dentures and partials) for nearly 26 years – and providing service to the Beachton community for the past 22 years.
Prior to beginning his practice in Beachton, the Florida native completed his general dentistry residency in Charlotte, N.C., following graduation from Emory University Dental School where he earned his doctor of dental sciences degree in 1981.
After practicing in Charlotte, N.C, for about five years, McFatter moved to Tallahassee to open the Beachton Denture Clinic. He has earned licenses to practice in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
“It’s been a great practice,” says McFatter, of his service to the Beachton community. “It was a natural for me to come back to this area to be nearer family and friends.”
He is now concentrating on gaining greater expertise in the area of dental implants and making the procedure more efficient and affordable to his patients.
And if all goes as planned, Dr. McFatter says his new denture clinic will be the first platinum-level, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certified (LEED) dental office in the world. LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Projects earn LEED points for satisfying specific green building criteria within each of the six LEED credit categories. The number of points the project earns determines the level of LEED Certification the project receives.
Certification is available in four progressive levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum (the highest level).
“The building is unique in several areas,” explains McFatter. “It’s all solar with geothermal heating and air conditioning. The water will be recycled as well. He noted that his building consultant is discussing “net metering” with the local utility company. For example, if more electricity is produced than is needed to operate the building, it can be sold back to the utility company.
He says LEED certification is not just about how energy efficient the building is, it’s really about the quality of the work environment for employees and the people who visit the clinic. He pointed out that even the trees that were taken down to make room for the building had to be disposed of in harmony with the environment.  How tasks are carried out determines the points earned toward LEED certification, he says. “So we had to have a company come in, mulch them (trees) and take them to a power plant.
“The roofline is angled for solar,” he noted, “and the octangular waiting room has a spiritual design.” He says he wanted a waiting room that would create an atmosphere of comfort and spaciousness – and to that end, he reports it took some careful architectural engineering, as there is no center support post. He estimates the total area of the building at between 7,000 and 8,000 square feet.
McFatter has planned for nine dental stations; designating four chairs for implant and denture procedures, and he hopes to eventually bring in perhaps two or three additional dentists who would provide general dental services or other specialized procedures.
In addition to working as a dental surgeon, McFatter teaches monthly personal development courses through the Upgrade Center in Tallahassee as a instructor for the Global Relationships Center, noting that the inspiration to enter into such a large-scale building project came from one of those classes:  Money Freedom.
Although he says the builders keep telling him the completion date is a year away, he hopes to open the doors to the new clinic in January 2011.
To learn more about the services offered by Dr. William McFatter visit his website at: www.beachtondenture.com, or call the office at 229-377-6588 or dial toll free, 800-521-7275. The Beachton Denture Clinic is located at 2515 Highway 319 S., next to Hud’s III gas station and mini-mart in the Beachton community.