Dental anxiety is a significant issue for many, which can deter people from going to their necessary appointments.
As a dentist, there are things that you can do to alleviate the fear that some of your patients may have. Aside from using familiar language and fully explicating treatment plans, you can make your office more welcoming.
If you’re looking for new dental office designs to help transform your practice headquarters, be sure to keep reading to learn how you can alleviate the stress some of your patients may face.
1. Plan It Out
Before you can begin any transformations or upgrades, you’ll need to plan out your objectives and decide where you want to take your dental practice. You don’t want to go into a project without having your ultimate goal defined!
Are you looking to expand, creating more room in your office, or do you want to make your layout more accessible and efficient? Narrowing down your ideas, wants, and needs are crucial to maximizing your budget and space.
Don’t be afraid to take feedback from your patients and staff into consideration. This can help you in the long run, as you should value the thoughts of these two groups!
You can set up custom dental websites to showcase the goals of your practice and ask for anonymous patient feedback there.
2. Upgrade Your Waiting Room
There’s nothing worse than waiting in an uncomfortable, dilapidated, and outdated waiting room. This can prevent patients from fully relaxing before they get called into the clinic rooms.
Upgrading your waiting room to provide more modern amenities, furniture, and entertainment can help you retain patients.
Providing adequate features, like a television, magazines, and toys for children to play with can help your patients feel comfortable while they wait. You can also add interesting elements like plants, artwork, and a water dispenser.
Your waiting room is also a great place to put pamphlets, freebies, and products you’d like to sell.
3. Privacy Please!
Another office design factor you’ll need to consider is how much privacy you, your staff, and your patients need.
Though you might love the look of an open floor plan, it might not make your patients feel as though everyone is judging or listening to private conversations about their oral health.
While rows of dental chairs are becoming more popular, placing dividers in between them can help your patients feel relaxed.
Also, if your receptionists don’t have a secluded space to make phone calls, talk to patients about upcoming appointments, and discuss payment, it can make patients uncomfortable, and your staff feel as though they’re on display.
Providing a closed-off space can offer your staff a place to retreat, hold private conversations, and discuss patient care options.
4. Invest in Quality Furniture
Just as you’ll want to upgrade your waiting room, you’ll want to invest in high-quality furniture to help your practice feel comfortable and keep up the luxurious appearance of your office.
From comfortable and chic to cozy and warm, you can choose how you want your patients to feel. Though sleek and modern looks clean and expensive, a homey office can help your patients feel like family.
No matter what you want your office to feel like, you can ensure that your patients can sit comfortably by providing quality and abundant seating options. The last thing you want is your patients to feel cramped in the waiting room!
You’ll also want to upgrade any equipment your patients will utilize, like exam room chairs. The focal point of any clinic room, ensuring that the chair is in good condition and comfortable will help your patients trust you.
5. The Power of Paint
When it comes time to design an office, you’re going to want to do your research into paint colors. Never underestimate how color can influence people!
In general, you’ll want your patients to relax and feel calm while waiting to be seen and in the exam room. Colors like blue, grey, and green are soothing and promote relaxation.
You may want to avoid bright, bold colors like red, orange, or neon yellow, as they convey intense feelings of energy. This can trick the brain into feeling more anxious and heightening stress.
6. Look To Lighting
Finally, you’ll want to take your lighting options into consideration when it comes to your office interior.
You’ll need to choose between cool and warm lighting options. Both have their benefits, so you’ll want to choose the option best for your dental practice.
Cool lighting, which is whiter and brighter, can help your office feel cleaner and provide clear illumination for patients to read and fill out forms in the waiting room. However, cool lighting may be harsh and cause headaches for some.
Warm lighting options are softer and can invoke a more comfortable, cozy environment. However, warm lighting can make it difficult to focus on tasks.
Dental Office Designs Your Patients Will Love
Though you may not be very in tune with interior design, these tips can help you create a welcoming, clean, and comfortable environment for new and returning patients.
Remember, keeping the needs of your patients in mind is essential when it comes to deciding on a room design for waiting areas, exam spaces, and your receptionist’s desk.
If this guide to dental office designs has you ready to revamp your practice, be sure to check out the rest of our website. There, you’ll find more great business tips and tricks to help you stand out.