For Dr. Ana Salinas, creating her Austin, Texas, practice was more than a fresh start. It was a homecoming.
COLLEGE LIFE WAS going 100 percent according to Dr. Ana Salinas’s plan. She was thriving academically at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas; had just met her future husband; and was confidently planning to pursue pediatric medicine. Then without warning she became seriously ill—hospitalized multiple times while doctors struggled to diagnose. They eventually discovered she had viral meningitis, and while she recovered over time, the experience led to a moment of clarity. “I’m grateful for the doctors who treated me,” she says, “but I couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t excited to be there. I realized being a pediatrician might not give me the spark I was looking for.” So she made a big decision. “I told my parents and my now-husband, ‘I think I’m going predental. I want to meet people when they’re generally happier. I think my heart can handle that better, and I’ll serve the community in a way that feels right to me.’ ” . Following the SignsToday, Dr. Salinas is the proud owner of 512ooth Family Dentistry in Austin. “By design, it’s a true family practice,” she says. “I want to see my patients have kids and see those kids grow up before my eyes.” Getting there took time. She moved through several associateships, exploring different practice styles and waiting for the right fit—and a little serendipity. For example, her shift from pediatric medicine to dentistry might have seemed sudden, but the interest had long been there. “Dentistry always intrigued me. My childhood dentist was likable and never bothered by my questions about dentistry,” she says. “I also loved working with my hands, starting back when my grandmother taught me to crochet.” After graduating summa cum laude from St. Edward’s, she earned her dental degree with distinction from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2012. She practiced at three offices across Texas, married her husband, Adrian, and started a family. A turning point came at the grand opening of a friend’s practice in 2023, where she ran into Cary Barrs, a Benco Dental sales representative she knew from her college days working in a dental office. “I heard him talking and instantly recognized him. We reconnected, and that moment felt like a sign,” she recalls. “I was already trying to save money and watching the real estate market. After seeing Cary, I called my husband from the car and said, ‘I think it’s time. Let’s get the ball rolling.’ ” Coming Home . . . AgainHer ideal location—a corner site in a 195-acre mixed-use development—turned out to be familiar. “The first home my family moved to in the Austin area is in the community directly behind our office. When I made that realization, I told Adrian, ‘Yeah, I think this is home.’ This is where it all kind of started—it was an easy decision after that.” With her prime site secured, Dr. Salinas leaned into its natural advantages. “I knew we were going to pay a premium, but I wanted it to feel calming when patients walked in. It’s why we have high ceilings, lots of windows and earth tones. I wanted it to be bright.” That’s the thing about sticking to a budget: A splurge here often means a compromise there. Luckily, interior design is one area in which clever choices can mask limitations. To that end, Dr. Salinas worked with Benco Dental interior designer Angèle Hashoul to bring her vision to life. “Adhering to a budget doesn’t mean giving up your dream office. It’s actually a challenge that inspires creativity,” Hashoul says. “Once you implement the elements and principles of design into your project, it doesn’t matter what palette or finishes you work with. You’ve laid the foundation. Dr. Salinas’s office design is proof that staying on-budget can still look confident.” The doctor agrees. “Angèle helped me maximize the space and create a really good flow.” Up front, the office has a homey feel, with a gentle transition from reception to clinical. Dr. Ana Salinas’s Project Tips Start with what you don’t want.“Those are a lot easier to verbalize. All the don’ts led me to where I landed.” Warm it up.“It’s a family practice, so I wanted it to feel calming when patients walked in—high ceilings, windows, earth tones.” Expect delays but stay committed.“Everybody says delays will happen, and they do. Remember you’ve come way too far to let eleventh-hour issues stop you.” Lean on your support systems.“My kids were such an inspiration. ‘Mom, you can do it. How’s the office coming?’ They would always want to see the progress.” Build community trust before opening.“Through volunteering and social events, our community came to know us in a different capacity, which helped form a connection with them before opening the practice.” Choose your partners carefully.“Benco made the process so easy. I think the hardest part was saying ‘I’m ready.’ From start to finish, it was so simple and fun.” “I wanted clean lines and a more modern look in the back, but not so modern that it felt stark. We didn’t want sharp edges everywhere. Angèle helped me find muted colors that softened the space.” As for the layout, Dr. Salinas drew on past experiences, both good and bad. “I’ve always worked in private practice, never corporate. As dentists, we want a certain amount of control. I’ve seen how certain things worked well in other offices while others didn’t. So I had a list of dos and don’ts for the design and functional layout.” 512ooth Family Dentistry opened on February 7, 2024. Human touch:For now, Dr. Salinas does case presentations chairside using an iPad. “Someday we may move to a consultation room, but for now, this works.” Adhering to a budget doesn’t mean giving up your dream office. It’s actually a challenge that inspires creativity.”—Angèle Hashoul, interior designer Investing in Her ValuesOf course, dentistry is a business—you can’t provide care at a loss. Dr. Salinas is forthright about some of the less glamorous aspects of launching her practice. “We’re in