Getting It Right With The Right Dental Lighting

Posted by HJT Design

No dental office renovation project is complete without taking time to thoroughly consider the lighting positioned throughout the office. Every bit of lighting must be carefully chosen to produce optimal visibility and aesthetic beauty for the space. Because the lighting in the office will come from both artificial and natural light sources, striking an ideal balance between the two will be the primary goal for your designers. If the lighting is done right, you’ll give your patients a dental experience they won’t quickly forget.

Using Dental Task Lighting to Produce Optimal Dental Results

Proper lighting is an important tool in any dentist’s work. Dental Surgery Lighting, Color Photography Lighting, Dental Curing Lights, or even ceiling lights within patient treatment rooms must all be chosen with the precise brightness and “heat” in mind to complete each procedure effectively. Both artificial and natural lighting are used to provide the right balance of light within the space. For dentists, it’s important to find the right level of brightness to ensure that when you’re color matching during restorations, doing cosmetic dental work, and even performing basic cleanings you have the proper lighting to get the job done right.

Fluorescent ceiling lighting is commonly used for this purpose throughout the office. It acts as a main source of light in treatment rooms, hallways, sanitation labs, and waiting rooms. It can be used in diverse applications and is highly effective in producing functional illumination. In surgical settings, all artificial lighting will need diffuser shields to determine the amount of uplight and downlight that should be emitted in the treatment rooms.

Natural lighting coming from bay windows is important because it helps with shade matching, patient comfort and dentist productivity. Although this source of lighting is not always predictable, it will help you and your patient see what their teeth will look like naturally once they leave the office. If these windows are available, try to position your patient chairs to face the windows to receive the best light exposure possible.

When it comes to surgical task lighting, be sure to remember that lighting needs to be free from shadows, must be uniform, and has to be clean. You can’t have lighting that will distort the results of any procedure. You need to have alert, focused eyes to perform throughout the day. The right lighting will help with this. Be sure to have appropriate blinds to help control the natural sunlight at key points throughout the day, too.

Using Ambient Lighting to Improve the Patient Experience

Ultimately, the patient experience is what matters. You want your patients to feel comfortable, relaxed, and confident from the moment they walk through your door. Lighting in the operatory that is fixated directly above your patients shouldn’t be so bright that it blinds them throughout a cleaning or procedure. Hallway lighting should illuminate the best features of your office so your patients will see everything there is to enjoy.

Ambient lighting helps to set the mood and tone of your office. The right lighting will have a calming effect on patients who are fearful or nervous about visiting the dentist. Ambient lighting can also add to the aesthetic look of your office, adding beauty and appeal to your office setting.

As you make the necessary changes to your dental office to bring it up to date, don’t forget that the lighting you choose will ultimately impact your patient experience and your own dental effectiveness. Be sure to give ample consideration to your lighting conditions throughout the planning stages of your dental office renovation.

Get started with your own dental office renovation today by contacting HJT Dental Design Consultants for a free estimate of your renovation. Our experts can enlighten you to the possibilities of how a dental office redesign can transform your entire practice from the inside out.