Drs. Bridgett Jorgensen and Kristin Jorgensen, Dentists

Job: Dentists, Sugar Hill

What we do: Drs. Bridgett Jorgensen and Kristin Jorgensen are dentists in practice together, best friends and sisters-in-law.

At North Gwinnett Dental Care, their family dental practice in Sugar Hill, each of them works a five-day week, then takes a week off to be with her family.

"It's fabulous," said Bridgett Jorgensen, 43.

She said the schedule gives her time with her four children — ages 16, 14, 10 and 9. Likewise, Kristin Jorgensen, 44, has time with her two children, ages 7 and 2.

Bridgett's husband, Allen, also works in their office, where he operates a consulting company that computerizes dental practices. He has made their practice an all-electronic, chartless operation.

Kristin's husband and Allen's brother, Dan, a former professional fisherman, is a stay-at-home dad to help care for one of their children, who has Down syndrome.

Their dental practice offers orthodontics, implants, restorations and cosmetic work as well as routine dental care, such as cleanings and cavity fillings.

One of the ways Bridgett Jorgensen said they make their patients comfortable — and perhaps a little braver in facing the dentist — is mild, conscious sedation. She explained that the patient takes a pill and feels woozy. "They're not knocked out, but they don't care what we're doing," she said.

The Jorgensens do more to make their patients comfortable, such as offering an on-site day care center for the children of patients and staff, which is overseen by their mother-in-law, Ruth Jorgensen, who also doubles as a business assistant. Patients also can watch flat-panel television sets that are installed on the ceilings over the dental chairs.

"With dentistry, it's like a little puzzle," Bridgett said. "We take people from not being happy with their smile to liking the way they look."

What got us interested in this: "I really like teeth," said Bridgett Jorgensen.

She worked in a dentist's office in high school and became a dental hygienist. After a few years, she realized how routine the work was and decided to go to dental school.

Some dental schools, she explained, admit graduates of hygienist programs if they also complete enough college-level science courses.

Kristin Jorgensen also got an early start in a dentist's office. During an appointment when she was 13, she was offered an impromptu after-school job by her dentist.

"My retainer broke at the right time," she said.

She worked with him through college and entered dental school after earning a bachelor's degree.

Best part of my job: "Flexibility," both Kristin and Bridgett said of their working arrangements.

But Bridgett pointed out the importance of being in the office when it's her turn. "If I don't show up, 10 people can't work."

Most challenging part: "Overcoming the fact that people are scared to come to the dentist," Bridgett said. That's one reason their practice includes so many patient-

comfort features.

Kristin said that when she started out, it was difficult persuading some patients to see a female dentist. "Now we're all over the place," she added.

What people don't know about my job: "People think we leave them [sitting] in the waiting room" for too long, Bridgett said. In reality, the dentists are on a schedule, and sometimes things don't go as planned. They won't cut short time with patients who need them just to stay on schedule, she said.

What keeps me going: "I really like it," Bridgett said. "Nothing beats when people come in with [dental problems] and leave 1½ hours later, and their smile is completely different."

Kristin said she gets renewed because she can maintain such a healthy work/life balance.

Preparation needed for this job: While they followed different paths to get there, both Bridgett and Kristin earned four-year, postgraduate degrees at dental schools. Bridgett graduated from dental school at Southern Illinois University, and Kristin graduated from dental school at Loyola University in Chicago, where she also got her bachelor's degree in Spanish literature.

The women met when they were dentists in a larger practice, and Bridgett introduced Kristin to her husband's brother. They went into practice together in 1994.

- By Karl W. Ritzler, for ajcjobs. Got an interesting job that you love? E-mail your story to jobseditor@ajc.com.