Ensuring Your Dental Office Has Adequate Private Space

Posted by HJT Design

Many visitors to a dental office experience a great deal of anxiety before – and after! – their required medical procedure. In most cases, it is a great relief to them – both physically and mentally – if they can be afforded a private space to ready themselves for the procedure and to recuperate afterward.

Here are a few ideas on how to ensure that you are providing adequate private space for your patients:

Provide Dedicated Parking

It may seem like an insignificant trifle but most folks arriving for a dental appointment do not want to have to look for a parking space. Speak to your landlord and carry the expense of providing dedicated parking spaces for your patients. Ultimately, they will arrive at your office in a far better mood making the entire process easier for you, your staff and, most importantly, for your patients.

Maintain the Aesthetics of the Waiting Room

Once the patient is inside the front of your office door, they will almost assuredly have to wait for a short period of time before finally seeing the doctor. You can improve their state of mind immensely by providing an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. Fundamentally, this means a calming color scheme, a fish tank, and artwork. Technologically, it means a television tuned to the news, any number of magazines and a complimentary wi-fi connection.

Consider a Private Staging Area

Immediately before the medical procedure, it is ideal for the patient should be prepped in a private staging area. It only takes a short amount of time so a single room should suffice to adequately service four to five operating rooms. In this way, the patient gets to collect their thoughts while the dentist and his staff make any necessary last-minute adjustments to the operating room.

Provide a Separate and Quiet Place to Recuperate

While nobody really likes to suffer in silence, it is even worse if their recuperation is in the presence of strangers. Unfortunately, this process takes time – especially if the patient has undergone anesthesia – so a number of rooms will be needed. Still, on a per square footage basis, they can be relatively small and therefore eminently affordable. In addition, by providing this private space, patients can be tended to on an as-needed basis. In fact, private recuperative rooms can actually reduce the strain on your staff as patients will typically sleep through most of their recovery period.

Ensure that the Billing Process is Private

After the completion of their medical procedure, the vast majority of patients will likely want to expedite the billing process. In all likelihood, they will also want to keep their personal information private. The use of segregated billing stations can accomplish this goal most affordably through the installation of privacy screens. Seriously, a few pieces of wood or plastic installed in the proper configuration can easily hide one patient’s personal details from another while still allowing your staff to deal with them in a fast and orderly manner.

For further information on ensuring that your dental office has the needed amount of private space, please contact us at HJT Design. Our experience in these types of remodels means that we can help considerably when designing and building your new office space. You will find us online at HJTDesign.com or you can reach us directly with any questions at 866.213.1268.