When it comes to designing your dental practice, efficiency should be one of your biggest concerns. If your staff is unable to work efficiently due to a poor office layout, then it could really hurt your ability to effectively treat your patients in a timely fashion.
However, this isn’t the only thing you should consider when remodeling your practice. Another important factor in a successful dental practice design is the comfort of your patients. The following are a few remodeling ideas that can help to improve patient comfort and create a more relaxing environment for them:
Easy-to-find front desk
The front desk should be right near the entrance so that your patients know exactly where to go when they arrive. You won’t want them wandering the halls without a clue as to where to go. This will only make them disoriented and frustrated, which is going to make it difficult for them to remain calm and relaxed.
A Front Desk That Overlooks A Patient Waiting Area
Patients who can’t see the front desk from the waiting area are always going to be on edge because they’ll be unable to tell if someone is calling them up for their appointment. You want to make it easy for patients to hear and see your front desk personnel so that they can try to relax while they’re waiting.
A Comfortable Patient Waiting Area
Put some effort into making the patient waiting area as comfortable as possible. This means installing comfortable seating, making sure the overhead lighting isn’t too harsh, and adding a few decor elements that help people to relax (such as a fish tank or plant life). Additionally, make sure you don’t build your waiting area right next to your treatment area. The last thing you want is for patients who are waiting for their appointments to be able to hear the dentist doing a bit of drilling in the room next to them.
An Open Patient Treatment Area
While you might assume that individual treatment rooms can offer patients more privacy, the amount of comfort they will experience will depend greatly on the space you have available. If your patient rooms are too small, they’ll feel cramped and confined, which can induce anxiety. Not to mention that in an open treatment area, patients can easily see nurses and dentists as they walk around. The feeling of uncertainty when a patient is asked to wait in a room by themselves can also be quite stressful, especially for patients who are uncomfortable going to the dentist to begin with.
A Post-Treatment Patient Room
Because you may need to use anesthesia on some patients (and may even have to sedate patients during certain operations), they are likely going to feel a little woozy following their dental procedure. Instead of sending them out into the world in a state of disorientation and discomfort — or just telling them to sit out in the patient waiting area until they feel ready to go — consider setting up a post-treatment room where they can rest up. This will make them feel a lot more comfortable while they are at your practice. Just make sure that you include its own bathroom if possible, a place to lay down, and lighting that’s not harsh to create a calming environment.
These are a few elements that you should consider implementing into your dental practice remodel to help improve patient comfort and to create a more calming atmosphere. For additional advice on remodeling your dental practice, be sure to schedule a free consultation by contacting us at HJT Dental Design Consultants today.