A dental office has some unique needs to take into account when designing or remodeling it. However, there are three key features that must be considered for dental office success. Let’s talk about the three most important features in a dental office and why they matter.
1. Privacy
One of the most important, and oft-overlooked, features needed for dental office success is privacy. Many dental offices just have lines of chairs with no more than 6 feet between them. This design is not patient friendly and has a terrible lack of privacy. If your dental office hasn’t been built yet, consider separate rooms for each patient. If you already have an office and are looking to remodel, we have just the thing: A frameless system.
Frameless systems are the interconnecting, glass walls and doors that help to divide an office space. These can be used in any type of office. What makes them different from standard office walls is that they’re completely glass and have no metal framing. That means there’s a seamless transition from one glass panel to the next. Cool, right?
A frameless system does more than just look nice. It offers patients confidentiality when talking with their dentist. This is important, not just for professionalism, but for legal confidentiality reasons. It also blocks out a significant amount of sound if installed floor to ceiling. What makes young or nervous patients more anxious than hearing the sound of a drill squealing away in the other room? Not much. Cut out the noise with a sound barrier.
2. Hygiene
Hygiene is another cornerstone of any type of medical practice. The thing is, the older a building is, without regular updates, the less hygienic it is. Old wood gathers dust and moisture, mildew grows under carpets people walk on with their shoes. The carpet also collects dust and allergens. Any dent, chip, or scratch in a counter or table can harbor bacteria that’s hard to remove.
Updating a dental office means improving hygiene, inherently. New paint on the walls kills bacteria, fills in places bacteria could hide, and makes walls easier to wipe down. New flooring means removing the built up germs and gunk from years of treating patients. Replacing windows and doors improves insulation, ensures pests have no way in, and bolsters the fight against outdoor germs.
3. Comfort
And, lastly, you’ll have a much higher level of dental office success if your office provides comfort. That means a layout that’s conducive to productivity for staff and leisure for guests. There should be enough room for all visitors to sit and wait without feeling cramped or uncomfortable. If not the waiting room, the treatment area should have large windows. This is a hallmark in dental offices for a reason. Taking in the outside world and focusing on nature makes it easier to cope with uncomfortable cleaning routines. Plus, the whole place feels bigger when there’s a whole wall missing – even if it is replaced by glass.
Remodel for Dental Office Success
If you want to succeed in the business of dentistry, you need a high quality construction team on your side. Heidan Construction is known across Toronto for our stylish, contemporary design styles. If you need your dental office remodeled, or a new one built, we’re here to help. Give your patients everything they need. A little design and construction expertise goes a long way. Give us a call if you’d like to schedule a consultation.
