North Star Dental Services

05/29/2026

Thought this was an interesting perspective from a recent project with Minnesota West.

A little behind the scenes this week—
Minnesota West’s assisting program just installed a new panoramic system for their students.

And honestly, this matters more than most people think.

The equipment students train on shapes what feels “normal” when they enter practice.

So when programs invest in systems like this, they’re not just upgrading a classroom—
they’re shaping the next generation of dental teams.

We’re seeing more and more of this shift toward digital imaging that’s faster, simpler, and easier to integrate into daily workflow.

It’s good for students.
It’s good for practices.
And long-term, it raises the standard across the board.

We were glad to be part of getting this one up and running.

🌟 Clear direction for your dental practice.

05/28/2026

The room was only off by a few inches.
It changed everything.

On paper, the cabinetry layout looked fine.

But once the operatory was fully installed, those extra inches affected the entire workflow.

The x-ray arm couldn’t comfortably reach the patient. The chair needed to be repositioned closer to the cabinetry. Provider movement around the patient’s head became tighter, and stools repeatedly contacted the cabinets during normal movement.

We ultimately adapted the space with a longer x-ray arm and additional adjustments to help the room function as smoothly as possible.

Situations like this are a good reminder of something many people outside dentistry don’t realize:

Dental operatories are systems.
Every piece affects the next.

Cabinet depth impacts chair placement.
Chair placement impacts provider movement.
Movement impacts workflow, ergonomics, imaging, and daily efficiency.

Inches matter.
Sometimes millimeters matter.

Part of our role is helping offices think through those details early—before small dimensional decisions become bigger workflow limitations later on.

And when challenges do happen, we help find practical paths forward.

🌟 Clear direction for your dental practice.

05/26/2026

Most equipment decisions don’t go wrong because of the equipment.

They go wrong because of how the decision was made.

On paper, a lot of options look similar.
In a real practice, the difference shows up in:

• how smoothly your day runs
• how your team actually uses the space
• how often small issues interrupt flow

The goal isn’t just to choose something that works today.

It’s to make a decision that still makes sense years from now.

That’s where we focus.

🌟 Clear direction for your dental practice.

05/21/2026

A little behind the scenes this week—
Minnesota West’s assisting program just installed a new panoramic system for their students.

And honestly, this matters more than most people think.

The equipment students train on shapes what feels “normal” when they enter practice.

So when programs invest in systems like this, they’re not just upgrading a classroom—
they’re shaping the next generation of dental teams.

We’re seeing more and more of this shift toward digital imaging that’s faster, simpler, and easier to integrate into daily workflow.

It’s good for students.
It’s good for practices.
And long-term, it raises the standard across the board.

We were glad to be part of getting this one up and running.

🌟 Clear direction for your dental practice.

05/19/2026

Most doctors don’t think much about their vacuum or compressor…
until it starts affecting the day.

And when it does, it shows up fast:

• downtime that backs up the schedule
• noise patients notice
• small interruptions that quietly slow everything down

On paper, most systems look similar.
In real practices, reliability over time is what actually matters.

That’s how we approach setups like Tech West—
not just specs, but how they perform day after day in working offices.

If your system has started to slip—or you’re wondering if it’s still the right fit—we’re always happy to take a look.

🌟 Clear direction for your dental practice.

05/14/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Mark DeRocher on the opening of Crow River Orthodontics in Mayer.

This is a space built to perform—five operatories designed for efficient flow, paired with an Owandy CBCT with Ceph to support confident diagnosis and treatment planning.

The custom cabinetry and elevated finishes bring it all together, but the real strength of this office is how well it works day to day.

We were proud to be trusted with the equipment and cabinetry on this project.

Built to serve well from day one—and scale with the practice over time.

🌟 Clear direction for your dental practice.

05/12/2026

Dependable imaging shouldn’t feel complicated.

The Owandy PAN is one of those systems that just… works.
Clear images. Smooth workflow. No unnecessary headaches.

At North Star, we’re not here to push equipment—you know that.
We’re here to help you choose what actually fits your practice, your team, and your day-to-day.

✔ Consistent, high-quality panoramic imaging
✔ Simple for your team to use (and keep using)
✔ Reliable performance you can count on

If you’ve been putting off upgrading your pano, this might be the one worth a closer look.

We’ll walk you through it—honestly. No pressure.

05/07/2026

We got a call about a dental chair with a swivel lock that wouldn't stay engaged.
The easy answer? Replace it. A new or refurbished chair runs around $7,000. And honestly, nobody would have blamed us for saying so.
But here's the thing — this Pelton & Crane chair is from the late 1980s. It's been in that practice for decades. We've actually worked on it before, replacing the upholstery to keep it going. This doctor genuinely loves this chair.
So we got creative. We pulled the chair off the base plate and had a local welder clean up and repair the swivel mechanism. It went back in today — for a fraction of what a replacement would have cost. The doctor is thrilled.
That's the call we'll always try to make first. Not the most profitable one. The right one.
Some equipment is worth saving. We'll always try to find out before we suggest otherwise.
📞 320-248-7596

11/18/2025

✨ Celebrating Lee Pearson’s Retirement ✨

Last Friday we got to celebrate someone incredibly important to our North Star Dental Services team — Lee Pearson, who officially stepped into retirement.

Lee wasn’t often out in offices, but he was the steady hands behind the scenes who kept our shop running smoothly. From troubleshooting equipment to getting countless sterilizers back into working order, Lee played a vital role in making sure our team could serve our customers well every single day.

His consistency, his work ethic, and his willingness to tackle the tough, tedious jobs made a lasting impact on our business. We’re deeply grateful for the time, skill, and care he poured into North Star.

While we will miss him dearly, we are truly happy for him as he enters this new season — one with more rest, more time for the things he enjoys, and fewer urgent repair calls on his desk.

To our customers:
Please know that your service will continue uninterrupted. Our team is fully prepared to carry forward the same dependable shop support that Lee provided so faithfully.

Lee, thank you for everything — for your dedication, your craftsmanship, and your steady presence. You will always be part of the North Star family.

Enjoy your retirement, Lee! 🌟 You’ve earned it.