Designing Your New Dental Office

Whether you have been operating your dental practice for years or plan to open a new office soon, you’ve probably given a lot of thought to the services offered and how to successfully market to patients. 

But one area that is sometimes overlooked is dental office design. The way your dental practice looks can have a huge impact on how patients perceive you — and that means you will want to prioritize impeccable design for dental offices.

If you’ve made do with an office that does not reflect your brand or the patients you would like to attract, now may be the time to consider redesigning your current setup. After all, tenant improvements rose by 10% in 2017 and 13% in 2018, so you certainly will not be alone in your decision to revamp your practice. And if you are in the process of launching a new practice or expanding your existing practice, you will want to devote time and attention to designing a dental office to make a great first impression. 

But what should you keep in mind during this process? Here are three considerations when designing your dental office that you will want to keep in mind.

Lighting

Lighting plays a more important part in design than most people realize. An abundance of natural light can make your dental office feel welcoming. Although fluorescent lighting should be avoided whenever possible, supplemental lighting will usually be necessary. Having a mix of different lighting fixtures and ensuring they fit in seamlessly with the office’s overall design can be highly effective. 

Privacy

Although open concept design is popular in residential applications, privacy should be one of your main considerations when designing your dental office. You will find a greater number of walls and doors in medical or healthcare facilities than you might with other types of commercial layouts. Your waiting room should be kept separate from the other areas of the office — and even within the waiting area, you should incorporate a sense of privacy between patients. Every examination room should feature the privacy elements needed to maintain confidentiality and ensure patients feel completely comfortable during their visit.

Décor

Cleanliness and workflow should also be among your top considerations when designing your dental office. But you will also want to remember aesthetics. Just as lighting can profoundly impact how your practice is perceived, so can the colors used in your design. Calming hues and natural tones are preferred by many dental practices, as they can soothe nervous patients or make for a warmer and cozier atmosphere. 

The age of your patients will determine the color scheme you should use, as well as the type of art or other decor elements you will include. If you consider the area’s demographics and your patient roster before starting this process, you will find the style of materials (such as countertops, wall coverings, and other finishes) and decorative features to send the right message.

Although there are many important considerations when designing your dental office, these three will provide you with a great place to start the process. For more information on how we can help transform your dental practice with impeccable design, please contact DP Incorporated today.