Keeping your dental practice as clean as possible is important to both the safety and health of your patients and staff. Even though this should be a priority when it comes to your dental practice design (when choosing things like treatment area flooring and countertops, you’ll want to choose materials that are easy to clean), it can result in a bit of a sterile environment that may feel cold and oppressive to your patients. The following are a few ideas to make your office feel less sterile and more comfortable:

Carpeting

Carpeting in your treatment areas is a bad idea; after all, carpeting can be a little more challenging to keep clean than something like tile. However, there’s no reason not to add some carpeting to your waiting room. Doing so immediately brings warmth to the space that can prevent the area from feeling too sterile. When your waiting area has a bit of warmth, it will be easier for patients (especially for those who are nervous) to relax.

Painting the Walls

White walls contribute to that cold, sterile feeling, especially when everything is white or steel-colored. Fortunately, painting your walls a different color won’t be a health risk. Consider using a color that has a calming effect on people, such as light blue. This can be especially effective in your patient treatment rooms. A touch of color can go a long way in adding some personality to your practice as well.

Use Comfortable Seating

Uncomfortable seating lends itself to an uncomfortable environment, so make sure you put some thought into the type of seating you add, especially in the waiting room. Soft and comfortable is the way to go. Try to find seating that’s not only comfortable to sit on but that also looks comfortable as well and that won’t detract from the visual design of your office.

Add Less Harsh Lighting Options

Harsh lighting is often one of the biggest contributors to an environment that feels sterile. While you should prioritize functional lighting in your treatment rooms, consider softer, warmer lighting in your patient waiting area and in your post-treatment room if you have one. You might even want to add a few lamps in the waiting room to help make the space feel more welcoming and less like a hospital.

Add Some Decor Items

If you don’t want your dental office to feel sterile, then you might want to hang some things on your walls. A bland office design is going to look like a sterile office design. Add photographs and artwork to your walls. You may even have an artist amongst your staff or your clients that would be willing to do a piece for your waiting room or your patient treatment rooms. In fact, hanging artwork up in your treatment rooms is a great idea because it gives patients something to look at while they are being worked on.

Install a Fish Tank

A fish tank in the waiting room can help make your practice feel much more inviting. Water tends to have a relaxing effect on people, which will help to make your waiting room feel more comfortable. Not to mention that having fish swimming around in your waiting room literally brings some life to your practice.

One of the things that you should consider when designing your dental practice is the comfort of your patients. A sterile environment is going to make them feel uncomfortable, so use these tips to make your practice more inviting and less sterile. Contact HJT Dental Office Design for more dental practice remodeling tips.