Not a lot of dental practitioners are fans of office renovations. After all, these projects cause downtime and therefore potential business losses. At the same time, they hike up expenses, especially if it stretches for far too long.
But the truth is a brush-up on your clinic is necessary from time to time. The more pleasant truth is it’s always worth it. The change in environment refreshes your business perspective, boosts the morale of your staff and makes you more patient-friendly. Here are things you should pay attention to so that you can make sure that refurbishments are worth the investment and trouble.
Upgrade Your Equipment
In this tech-obsessed era and such an increasingly competitive industry, you can never lag behind in terms of equipment. Replace outdated tools and apparatus to improve work efficiency. You should switch to digital dental practice solutions in key areas like intraoral imaging, diagnosis of caries, malocclusion and TMJ disorders, and shade matching. This will make treatments more accurate and improve patient care.
Beyond the tools in the actual dental procedures, you should also upgrade the ones you use in managing patient relations. Use a software program that allows patients to schedule and keep track of their appointments online. This will reduce no-shows and help you manage better the bottleneck at your reception area.
Use an Effective Floor Plan
How the entire space flows affects how you’ll be able to use the space effectively. That’s why it’s important to consider your floor plan. What you want is a big room for people to move about, but not too huge of a space that it stretches travel time from one facility to another. There’s no hard rule when it comes to dimensions and sizes, as it really depends on how you, your staff and your clients use the space. So, ergonomics should be your priority.
Aside from space dynamics, a principle you need to think about when planning layouts is visibility. Your patients should be able to see the spaces they’re entering in. This foresight helps relieve anxiety and gives them better control of the experience. So, you might want to consider using glass materials in dividing up the space.
Update the Look and Feel
You may have been too familiar with your clinic environment that the soiled carpets or the chipped off wallpapers have just been the norm for you. Well, it isn’t for your patients. If you haven’t redesigned your clinic within the last two to three years, it’s certainly outdated in your patients’ eyes. And even though time and time again, people are advised not to ‘judge a book by its cover’, your patients would regard your practice by its look and feel.
So, prioritise aesthetics in your renovation. Apply a fresh coat of paint. Take note of mood-boosting and relaxing colours. Introduce biophilic design. Provide comfortable seating. Create a homey vibe in your reception area.
Yes, a dental office renovation can be taxing and costly, but it’s probably just what you need to refresh your commitment to patient care, increase employee satisfaction and improve patient’s trust. Remember these three U’s in making the most of your renovation.