HammasPoli’s calming clinic environment brings peace of mind to patients

Founded in autumn 2025 in Iisalmi, Finland, HammasPoli has quickly become a trusted local dental clinic, welcoming patients with the genuine warmth of a family-owned practice. The clinic environment is characterised by a sense of calm, where wandering thoughts and the sounds of dentistry are gently soothed by the woodland-inspired interior elements and forest green colours. Designed by Plandent Finland and partners, the refined clinic concept is complemented by Planmeca’s ultramodern dental units and imaging systems.

Situated in the Northern Savonia region of Finland, Iisalmi is a beautiful lakeside city that is home to more than 20,000 inhabitants. This same natural beauty is reflected at HammasPoli, where stepping through the front door feels like entering the tranquillity of a forest. Already at the front desk, patients are greeted by a serene and understated natural green colour scheme, complemented by wall and ceiling elements subtly reminiscent of tree trunks and branches.

The serene, unhurried atmosphere continues in the waiting area and treatment rooms, with their matte green interiors and sound-absorbing acoustics. During treatment, patients can rest their eyes – and their thoughts – on a unique light ceiling, which features various wood and leaf motifs on a fabric made from Ukrainian plant oil.

It is clear that comfort, a sense of calm, and closeness to nature have been the guiding principles behind the design of the dental clinic, which opened its doors in September 2025. Considerable effort has gone into the visual identity as well as the interior of the comprehensive 270 m² premises, which were designed by Plandent and furnished by the Finnish interior architecture firm Inner.

All equipment, furniture, and materials were also selected with care, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and local manufacturing. The clinic’s four treatment rooms are equipped with Planmeca Compact™ i5 dental units and Planmeca ProX™ intraoral X-ray devices. More advanced imaging needs are covered by the versatile Planmeca Viso® G3 CBCT imaging unit. In addition, the clinic utilises HeySmile® aligners and Plandent’s automated PlanOrder™ system for materials management.

Against all this careful planning, it is perhaps surprising, then, that the name HammasPoli was ultimately coined quite spontaneously – “just lying on the sofa at home,” as the owners and founders, Drs Ville and Anu Vierola, describe it. In Finnish, “hammas” is the singular word for “tooth”, while “poli” is a common abbreviation of the word “poliklinikka”, which refers to an outpatient clinic. And there it simply was: HammasPoli.

Strong local demand for private dental care

Graduates of the University of Kuopio, Ville and Anu Vierola are both working dentists at the clinic, specialising in prosthodontics and stomatognathic physiology. HammasPoli is the couple’s second joint clinic venture, which today employs eight dentists, three dental hygienists, and four dental nurses. The Vierolas’ daughter Maiju is also involved in the clinic’s marketing, while their son Jaakko helps out with photography. Additionally, the personnel is cared for by a special “tooth fairy,” who e.g. makes lunch, bakes, and contributes otherwise to workplace well-being. 

The Vierolas say that HammasPoli is the one place they eventually intend to retire from. “In that sense, it’s a very special place for us – and one we decided to really invest in as well,” Ville reflects.

The clinic’s popularity has also demonstrated there having been a clear market gap in Iisalmi for a family-owned local dental practice. The clinic is operating at full capacity, with a fourth treatment room – originally left unfurnished – now fully equipped and in use as well. “That, too, probably says something about the level of demand – and we, of course, always move boldly forward,” Anu notes.

A well-functioning clinic which allows people to thrive

The clinic design project kicked off in January 2025, when the first emails were shot to Plandent Finland about “a little situation going on in Upper Savonia.” The project was carried out in close cooperation with a number of suppliers to ensure that the solutions aligned with both the interior architect’s vision and the Vierolas’ wishes. “The end result was exactly what we wanted,” Ville says.

The overall construction took around seven months, but the cooperation with Plandent has continued closely even after completion. The Vierolas have been especially happy with the service-mindedness and quick response of the Plandent personnel, and both the doctor couple and the rest of the staff praise the overall result.  “As an environment and workplace, the clinic turned out really nice – not too clinical at all. It’s been a pleasure to come to work every morning,” Ville states.

As for the new Planmeca equipment, Dr Ville Vierola especially highlights the excellent working ergonomics and the lightly moving instrument console arms of the Planmeca Compact i5 dental unit, which is complemented by the Planmeca Solanna® operating light. The ability to customise the unit to personal preferences and working styles also played an important role in the purchasing decision. Dr Anu Vierola, for her part, emphasises the unit’s patient comfort – particularly the Ultra Relax™ upholstery made from viscoelastic foam, which she says many patients have also noted.

“All in all, the unit is an easy, reliable workhorse – if you can put it that way,” Ville sums up.

Planmeca imaging solutions was the ”obvious” choice

As specialists in prosthodontics and stomatognathic physiology, both Anu and Ville see a lot of patients with various occlusal and temporomandibular conditions. As a result, both the Planmeca ProX intraoral X-ray unit as well as the 3D and 2D-capable Planmeca Viso G3 CBCT system are in constant daily use.

“We aim to obtain bitewing images of our patients at regular intervals, and dental imaging is also an integral part of many forms of treatment, such as root canals,” Ville explains. “If the patient hasn’t had a panoramic image taken for many years – or perhaps ever – we may also choose to perform a focus study, which allows us to rule out, for example, lesions in the jawbone and asymptomatic infections.”

Most CBCT scans, in turn, are related to implant treatments. Additionally, CBCT imaging can provide valuable new information e.g. when the patient is experiencing nonspecific jaw or tooth pain or in wisdom tooth cases where the nerve canal is close to the root.

For image analysis and treatment planning, the clinic uses the Planmeca Romexis® software, which Ville particularly commends for its ease of use and intuitive workflow. “Another feature I want to mention, and one we’ve been very happy with, is the Romexis® Cloud image transfer service. Through it, we can easily send our images for interpretation to our radiologist in Tampere.”

“We’ve been using Romexis daily for years, and it’s so familiar to our colleagues, too, that in the end it was the obvious choice for all of us at HammasPoli,” Ville explains. “We didn’t really even consider other options.”

Pictured: HammasPoli's founders and owners, Drs Anu (left) and Ville Vierola.

Making connections through dentistry

In spite of the brand-new facilities and state-of-the-art solutions, the Vierolas say that the best part of their work is still, above all, connecting with people – whether they be patients, colleagues, or Plandent’s experts.

“Our patients are incredibly warm and kind-hearted, and so we always try to make time to talk to them a little bit and see how they’re really doing at home,” Ville says.

“I mean, this job is about so much more than just teeth,” Anu adds. “Now that we have our own practice again after several years, it truly gives so much back – although sometimes it can be draining as well. Dentistry is such an incredibly diverse profession that it’s hard to fully explain to people.”

“And the best part is that I also get to work here together with Ville,” Anu says with a smile. A true family business – through and through.

Copy: Aleksandra Nyholm
Images: Jenni Tuominen / INNER Sisustusarkkitehdit, Jaakko Vierola / HammasPoli

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