In an increasingly competitive dental market (assuming that all treatment plans are equal in quality and costs), what design cues can you employ to make your office stand out from the surrounding competitors? Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to make a big change in the ambiance of your office without a ton of extra work or added costs.

1. Front Entrance – Simply hanging up your shingle and turning on the lights isn’t enough to usher in the stampede of new patients through your front door. Every detail must be implemented with the purpose of attracting new patients. Making your front façade attractive and easy to locate should be an integral part of your office design, whether you have a standalone building or are a part of the ever changing dynamic of a shopping strip.

2. Upscale Lighting Fixtures – This is a simple and not necessarily expensive upgrade that can change a stark commercially-lit space into a warm, relaxing and intimate area to relax in until your appointment time. Using recessed can fixtures with warm lamps and nice rims along with pendant fixtures can create a boutique or resort ambience for your office, making such fixtures far superior to the cold bright light of common fluorescent fixtures.

3. Accent or Feature Wall – “WOW Factor” doesn’t have to be expensive. A well designed and strategically placed feature element such as a wall can add the needed texture, boldness of color, or materials to your vestibule. Mounting a TV on the wall can create a focal point, setting the design cue for the office.

4. Windows – The need for humans toconnect to the outdoors isn’t new news, and there are more than enough studies relating to the positive effect of natural light on the human psyche. Having windows versus not having them isn’t a topic for debate. If you have the luxury of building your office from the ground up, utilizing windows as a design element to flood the building interior with natural light is a great idea. It just might result in a happier staff and more relaxed patients. Do apply restraint to maintain privacy and control solar gain when placing windows into staff areas and treatment rooms.

5. Strategic Material Upgrade – The best valuefor your investments, in term of aesthetics, is to use higher quality materials in areas where first impressions matter most. A good example would be the reception area, as well as any places where you’ll be meeting with clients, prospective employees or investors. Small upgrades like natural stone instead of plastic laminate at the transaction counters, wall coverings instead of paint or wainscot wood treatments and wall bases in lieu of painted walls and rubber bases can make a huge amount of different.

6. Accessorize – Choose your style, hang some artwork and add a few indoor plants. Patients will feel more at ease when they are in a room that which an intimate touch and appears well tended. Decorative tables and bookshelves can also add to the decor while offering some additional functionality to the waiting room.

7. Don’t forget your Geometry – Softening upsome of your office’s hard straight lines with curved walls or round elements can elevate your design and create a more friendly space while drawing attention to the feature you’re trying to accent. Making your reception desk curved for example can help it to stand out and make it look less ominous. Another way to change the feel of the space and break large spaces into smaller intimate spaces is to add some different shapes to your space.

Careful use of specialty construction materials will serve to create a luxury feel reminiscent of a spa or resort instead of a harsh reminder of the dental work your clients are having done. These simple design cues can take your office’s aesthetic to the next level, resulting in effective high-end dental office design with mix of colors, shapes, materials and textures providing a relaxing and comfortable environment for your staff and patients.

HJT loves helping create amazing dental offices! We would like to hear about your project. Click the schedule a free consultation button below or contact us to setup an appointment.

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