When looking to build your new or improved dental clinic fitout, you’ll soon find there are lots of good (and bad) options in dental clinic design. And just like all design trends, the good ones often help improve the look, flow and efficiency of your dental practice while enhancing your dental patient’s experience.
Here at Innova, we have designed, and project managed over 200 dental practice fitouts Australia-wide for all types of dentistry practices in both city and rural areas. Therefore, we know a thing or two about creating the best dental design fitouts and practice environments possible.
Here are our top five picks for dental clinic designs that will help you create the best dental practice space.
1) Natural and Indirect Lighting
Creating a warm, calm and inviting space for your patients is most easily created with the use of natural light filling reception and dental treatment areas. This can be done with floor-to-ceiling windows, skylights, or a combination of these depending on your location and space.
Not only does the elimination of fluorescent lighting improve the look and feel of your dental clinic, according to the Australian Dental Association, it has shown to reduce dental anxiety for patients. By introducing the outdoors inside, patients can feel more relaxed and staff more alert, resulting in a better treatment outcome for everyone.
2) Ceiling Ambience
Since your patients will spend most of their time looking up towards the ceiling during their dental treatment, it makes sense to create a visually pleasing ceiling for them to look upon.
Whether you choose a local artist to paint a ceiling mural, use warm colours or integrate a flat screen monitor that alternates images, all of these can help distract the patient from the ongoing treatment while allowing them to enjoy the view above.
There are also ways to incorporate soffits or facades within the ceiling design to lessen noise in rooms and throughout the dental practice.
3) Technology in your Design
Now that you’ve created a warm and inviting place for your patients to feel as comfortable as possible with the use of natural light, timber on the floor, and artwork on the walls, it is equally important to include modern technology within your designed fitout space.
This could start with mobile phone check-ins or the ability to sign in upon arrival via a provided tablet screen. You can further extend the patient’s digital dental experience by allowing them to see their recent x-rays on a screen while in the treatment room or allowing them access to dental notes after their appointment.
If your practice involves maxillofacial surgery, dentofacial orthopedics or cosmetic procedures, including the latest in pre- and post-surgery digital imagery is often essential in helping the patient gain further trust in you and your dental practice.
Additionally, this ease of access not only allows your patients to feel more involved and knowledgeable about their own treatment, it also lets the client know you are on top of the latest technology and digital dental trends by including these within your working dental space.
4) Plants and personal touches
Creating a warm and welcoming space can be enhanced by including some well-maintained plants and beautiful flowers (although not fragrant), and even personalised items from you, your staff or the patients themselves. This is where you and your staff’s personal touches and preferences around the office increases the relaxed feeling for not only your patients but for everyone in your dental practice.
5) Visible Sterilization Areas are Key
Finally, a clean and sterile work area is paramount in creating trust in your patients. Removing this visible sterilization area within the warm and relaxed office environment you’ve created; patients have remarked their concerns about the cleanliness of the equipment and tools being used. Therefore, it is important to blend all of these elements within your dental fitout design to ensure your patients feel relaxed but also at ease, knowing they are being treated in a beautiful yet clean dental clinic available.
Whether you are looking to design your dental practice in a newly constructed building or remodelling your current dental space, at Innova we are experienced experts in leading our teams to work with your contractors, eliminating the need of extra expense in hiring a project manager.
We have our own in-house design and project management departments, as well as a manufacturing factory guarantee, which means you’ll receive the best price available without the need to look around town for each item needed.
To find out more about how Innova can help design, project manage and create the best and most up-to-date dental clinic fitout, contact us at innovagroup.com.au or call on 1300 761 108.
