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| The following is a reprint of an article
that was featured in "Dental Economics"
May 2002 issue- entitled, "One Dozen Essential
Elements of a Great Dental Office Design"
Part 2 by Dr. David J. Ahearn. . |
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ONE
DOZEN ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF
A GREAT DENTAL OFFICE DESIGN - Part 2
...Continued from Part
1
Our previous article described the first six components
of a great dental office design which included:
• Office size
• Living with your practice
• Centralization
• Inventory control
• Noise control
• Workflow We now can look at how we put those
pieces together into an entire practice.
This edition completes the "baker's dozen,"
and we hope it leaves you with a clear-cut plan for what
you will want in your new office environment.
7. WRITTEN GOALS ARE ESSENTIAL
Now that the conceptual foundation for a great dental
office has been established, clearly define the professional
and economic objectives that you desire in the new construction
or renovation - and put your thoughts in writing.
What are you hoping to achieve?
• Expand simultaneous room capacity?
• Attract a more affluent clientele?
• Greater ease of practice?
• Accommodate a new associate?
• Integrate high technology?
Each of these objectives must have clearly defined solutions
prior to commencing the actual design process. Make sure
you are confident that your design team understands this
and can act upon the ramifications of these decisions.
8. CONTROL COSTS
Have you ever heard of a construction project where the
final price was less than the contractor's initial estimate?
I didn't think so! Whether it's new construction or remodeling,
once you have committed to your objectives in writing,
prioritize them into must-haves, really-wants, and hope-fors.
In the enthusiasm of creating a new future for your practice,
don't lose sight of the written goals. Although an office
should be a comfortable place to enjoy one's work, it
ultimately must serve as a profit center. The military
estimates that as much as 60 percent of a structure's
cost results from long-term maintenance - not the original
construction costs. That's amazing! Your plan must include
ease of maintenance. An office is not a monument, art
project, or the world's greatest real estate investment.
The building of any new office should be grounded on a
sound dental business opportunity. With appropriate planning,
it can be.
9. CREATE COMPACT TREATMENT ROOMS
Save money in the purchase of your core equipment so that
you'll be able to spend your dollars on the high-technology
products that you need - and patients want - for the future.
Relentlessly pursue the consolidation of treatment rooms.
Efficient room organization and three-dimensional planning
for true ergonomic function allows comfortable, efficient,
and attractive treatment room pairs in as little as 16
feet of width including wall space. Consolidated spacing
leads to a proportional decrease in plumbing and electrical
costs per room. With efficient treatment room layouts,
sterilization becomes truly centralized and hygienists
are not wandering the corridors in search of a doctor.
Often, these space and cost savings are great enough to
fit in and fully pay for an additional treatment room.
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Figure 1. No matter what
your delivery system preference, compact and efficient
room layout markedly improves performance.
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10. EMBED
While patients are impressed by care, concern, privacy,
and yes, even technology, their emotional support for
the practice can be easily eroded by cluttered, cabinet-filled,
claustrophobic treatment areas that offer little privacy.
Ultimately, this is where patients either become comfortable
in your care or not. Design your office for simple and
inexpensive equipping. Embed core technology within your
equipment, don't purchase equipment that forces you to
"patch on" the tools that you use every day.
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Figure 2. Embed all of
your core technology directly into your chosen
delivery system.
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Additionally, it does not make economic sense to save
a small amount of money on design and construction that
results in the need to lease or purchase expensive cabinet
room dividers and head walls. Even if you rent your office
space, the tax savings gained by leasing a thousand-dollar
cabinet will never exceed the economy and privacy of simple
and inexpensive solid-wall room dividers which, in addition
to their economy, are far more easily maintained by the
reapplication of paint or wallpaper as your years of practice
progress.
11. INTEGRATE BREAK DOWN BARRIERS!
Don't hide your reception staff from the guest area. Does
Nordstrom's hide the best sales people from the shoppers?
Similarly, don't isolate dental hygiene from the rest
of the clinical program. An isolated employee is a disenfranchised
practitioner. Mix hygiene and doctor treatment rooms freely
but separate your rooms with solid walls. Oftentimes,
the privacy improvements from solid wall use and the increase
in space efficiency resulting from reorganization in and
of themselves will make your office renovation worthwhile.
(Figure 3.)
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Figure 3. Paired doctor
and hygiene rooms in only 16' of width.
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12. MOBILIZE THE HIGHEST TECHNOLOGY
Contrary to the current boasting about building today's
highest technology directly into the treatment environment,
a simpler and more cost-effective alternative exists which
is far more productive in the long run. It is a solution
that you may have unsuccessfully tried before, but, if
done properly, can be very successful. After you have
embedded your basic high technology such as curing lights
and computers, put your single-unit specialty equipment
such as air abrasion, electrosurgery, and high-tech endo
on wheels, not walls. Later, when today's expensive technology
becomes more affordable, embed these specialty products
directly into your delivery system. A classic example
of this is the transition of light curing units. A decade
ago, these were shuttled from operatory to operatory.
Now, that the technology and price have stabilized, they
have become an integrated part of the modern armamentarium.
The same will become true for cameras and air-abrasion
units, freeing up your mobile units for the next cutting-edge
technology. (Figure 4.)
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Figure 4. A typical Rapidcart®
parking lot in a multi-user group practice, showing
imaging, operative, endo, and perio units.
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13. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE "WOW"!
Last, but certainly not least, the new office should make
a definite statement. New patients in particular are forming
immediate and lasting impressions of you as they consider
placing an extreme amount of trust in your clinical and
aesthetics skills. Your office doesn't have to make a
bold or glitzy statement, but an appropriate level of
quality must be apparent from the instant patients reach
your door. (Figure 5.)
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Figure 5. It's not expensive
to create a patient area that communicates a sense
of quality care.
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Your office design sits at the crossroads of practice
productivity and customer satisfaction. It communicates
your commitment to patients and is the launch platform
for profit. The efforts you make in the planning stages
of your new office will bring great rewards in the finished
product. In our next article, we will discuss the essential
elements of treatment room design and productivity.
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