Owning and operating a successful dental practice requires a great deal of work, diligence, and attention to detail. Sometimes, you become so focused on providing great care for your patients and operating the business side of things that you fail to notice that your dental office space is in need of a renovation. While this is understandable, it is important to understand that having an outdated dental office space can have a negative impact on your patients’ overall experience with you, and your business. Here are three signs that your dental office space is in need of a renovation.
Signs of Wear & Tear
The first and most obvious reason that it is time for you to renovate your dentist office is that there are obvious signs of “wear and tear” that are visible to employees, as well as, your patients. Having a dentist office space that is in disrepair can leave a terrible and long-lasting impression on your patients that could cost you their business.
Keep an eye out for the following signs that your dental office is in need of some tlc:
- peeling or chipping wallpaper or paint
- broken furniture
- scratched or chipped flooring
- broken windows or doors
- dingy ceiling tiles
It can be very easy for you to overlook details like these and others when you are in the office every day. But for your patients, these are things that can be hard to miss. Make a maintenance checklist of things to look out for and go through it every so often to ensure that your dental office doesn’t scare away your patients or negatively impact your employees.
It Has Been at Least 10 Years Since the Last Renovation of Your Dental Office Space
Another easy way to tell if you should consider renovating your dental office space is if it has been at least ten years since the last renovation. Interior decorating styles tend to make major shifts with the decades and if your patients walk in and can tell its been twenty or thirty years since the last time to bothered to renovate, they may begin wondering if you are cutting corners somewhere else too. Don’t give them the opportunity to ponder that possibility by renovating your dental office every ten years or so.
Mold
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons you should renovate your dental office is the presence of toxic mold and mildew. As you know by now, many studies have shown that ingesting or breathing in mold spores can be potentially dangerous or fatal over time and may even subject you to a lawsuit. If you begin finding mold or mildew in your dental office, tackle the problem head on immediately to avoid the problem from spreading and infecting your staff and patients.
The Negative Effects of an Outdated Dental Office Space
The negative impacts of having an outdated dental office are probably much more serious than you may imagine. Your patients may change dentists if they feel uncomfortable or even unpleasant due to your outdated office space even though you run an excellent practice. Make an effort to do small updates and maintenance regularly, and schedule major renovations every ten years or so to give the impression that your practice is on the cutting edge. The more you invest into the aesthetics of your dental office space, the more enjoyable a visit to your office will be, resulting in better profits year after year.
All of these factors must be considered before your office renovation begins. If you have questions, or need advice, contact HJT Design today.