Lighting is one of the most important design elements to consider when planning the look and feel of your dental office. Patients will be drawn to your office for many reasons, but your lighting solutions could offer the aesthetic appeal that sets your office apart from all the others. Of all your office workspaces, the lighting in your patient treatment rooms is among the most critical to evaluate. This is where the bulk of patient care occurs, and appropriate lighting could determine the success or failure of your patient-care experience.

Before we get into the specifics of appropriate lighting for dental office treatment rooms, let’s break down the two primary types of office lighting: task lighting and ambient lighting. Both serve important but different roles in improving the overall patient experience. Task lighting is practical and exists to improve the overall function of daily work activities. Ambient lighting creates a calming, pleasant patient experience and gives your office an attractive and inviting aesthetic appeal for the patients. The key is to find the right balance of both lighting aspects within your patient treatment rooms.

The Brightness Level of Your Patient Treatment Room Lighting

Throughout the dental care industry, and even much of the medical community, there is a generally accepted rule of thumb that the brightness comparison between operating task light and ambient lighting should be about 10:1. Lights can vary in brightness, but the ratio of lumens should always stay the same. You may choose your ambient lighting based on style or preference, so pay attention to the lumens and adjust your task lighting accordingly.

Patient Treatment Room Lighting Should Be Flexible

Dentists and hygienists work in close quarters every day. Patient mouths allow for limited visibility and staff hands and dental equipment only lessen visibility. It’s important that all lighting be mobile and easily adjusted to allow for optimal precision during patient treatments. Task lighting can be mounted at different angles on walls, cabinets, the ceiling, adjustable stands, or even on the patient’s chair. The goal is to provide proper lighting from different angles so your team can see and do what they need to do effectively and efficiently.

Patient Treatment Room Lighting Should Be Pleasing for Your Patients

Lastly, your lighting should be pleasant for your patients. While they are lying back in the chair, your patients shouldn’t be blinded by a bright light in their eyes or distracted by an “artistic” lamp in the corner of the room. Lighting should be practical, functional, and fitting for the space. If your patients are uncomfortable or distracted, their overall experience will be affected, and your job will become more difficult to perform. You need your patients to be calm and still throughout the duration of their treatment. Choosing the proper dental lighting fixtures will help make that happen.

At HJT Designs, we know that office lighting is one of the most underrated, yet most important design elements to any dental office redesign. This single component can make or break your ability to attract and retain your patients. Years of field and design experience have allowed us to provide hundreds of satisfied clients with ideal lighting solutions to fit their needs, budgets, and desires. Contact us today to discover the possibilities of a new dental office redesign with the help of HJT Dental Design Consultants.