If you are planning on opening your own new dental surgery, you would have worked in one for a number of years or at least a few months. You would be familiar with the equipment, layout and the quality of cabinetry. Laying out or planning a dental surgery is not a very complex job. There are, however, a few issues that can differentiate between a professionally kitted out dental surgery with optimum layout and one that may look like a torture room in some horror movie.
Client Perception
I am no Lion heart but the sound of drill in my mouth doesn’t really bother me. But being a dentist you know full well it can strike fear in the heart of some grown up men and women, let alone children.
You would need to think back on various dental surgeries you have visited or worked on and then ascertain how best to furnish it so make it a less scary place for those who dread visiting. An architect / interior decorator will come handy but remember floor, wall and ceiling finishes should not compromise clinical functionality and cleanliness.
Structure & Services
The only important bit required to the structure for the dental chair is the floor trunking required to contain services such as power cables and pipes for air, vacuum, suction, drainage etc. These services will go to a suction unit, which depending on the type of dental chair (wet or dry system) will take the saliva etc back to the suction unit to separate the amalgam and drain the remaining fluid down the drain. Suction unit will require exhaust to the outside.
I will prefer to leave the choice of dental chair out of this article but will suffice to say, it should be ambidextrous so that both a left handed dentist or a right handed can work there with easy and quick adaptation. Also, remember each chair comes with a unique floor-plate design that tells the engineers exactly where the various services will be connected to the dental chair’s base and the floor. This comes as a printed 1:1 scale drawing and should be sourced from the chair supplier before the construction to ensure floor trunking is accurate.
The dental light can either be chair mounted or a ceiling mounted one. Ceiling provides more flexibility whereas chair mounted is easy to service from the base of the chair and does not require work involving ceiling. Choice is yours.
Layout & Cabinetry
There are some standard dental cabinetry layouts that provide optimum work space and flexibility to the dentist. Leading dental cabinetry trade contractors will provide you with various options and work closely with you to ensure the final installation achieves professional look and finish. The quality of finish is higher for dental cabinetry compared to some other clinical area cabinetry. It not only enhances the look of the surgery but plays an important part in providing the necessary clean clinical environment. Locations of the sink and wash hand basin should be given thought. Storage, ease of access, control of infection should all be on your list to think and plan.
I hope that the above main points will help you think and plan ahead when you want to add/update your next dental surgery and will allow you to quiz manufacturers, builders, architects and engineers involved to give you the best and most effective and economical solution for your money!
As always I would love to hear your feedback, comments and your experiences and any stories you would like to share via the Contact form.