Working in the most well designed environment possible is not only good for the efficiency of a practice and its staff, but is also a positive way of attracting new patients and building confidence in your clinical skills and reputation. If a practice is cluttered or unattractive, patients may not feel comfortable or convinced to return. We all know the importance of providing and maintaining a hygienic environment but designing an ideal dental surgery requires a detailed understanding of dentistry and a thoughtful approach to the design.
Fundamentally, it is important to maximise every aspect and area of the practice to its full benefit while also conforming to regulatory dental and building standards. This is not always as easy as it sounds; there are a significant number of dental practices operating in converted premises such as houses, shops and even former bingo halls. The University of Glasgow conducted a survey in 2010, which revealed: “Of the 179 dental surgeries surveyed, 55 per cent were located in converted residential premises and most practitioners (91 per cent) did not share premises with other healthcare providers. Regardless of whether instrument decontamination facilities were housed within the treatment area or not, the average treatment area room size for both was 15.8m squared (range: 7.3-23.9) (P=0.862), with 20 per cent of the room area available as work surfaces. This survey suggests that the historical location of dental surgeries in converted residential properties places many restrictions on appropriate design for healthcare premises.”
When considering the intentions and expectations of a conversion or refurbishment there are factors such as layout, materials, light, ventilation, heating, surfaces, flooring, storage and even colour schemes to address. These need to be both sympathetic to the original building and highly functional. The outcome can be either state-of-the-art or traditional but in all circumstances it must be efficient.
Most importantly, when thinking about a conversion, refurbishment or redesign of an existing building into a dental practice, there are regulatory factors, which impact significantly on design criteria. As well as public building regulations, health and safety and fire safety standards, the dental practice must adhere to The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards and comply with the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05 (HTM01-05).
HTM01-05 recognises that within converted residential accommodation or small high street shops, best practice is not always achievable. However, where alterations can be made, full provisions are recommended. One of the most difficult requirements for
implementing best practice is to create two separate decontamination rooms away from the clinical treatment area. Similarly, ventilation and air quality considerations can be challenging in non-purpose built premises.
In order to provide an environment that facilitates the prevention and control of infections, all work surfaces where clinical care or decontamination is carried out, as well as flooring must be impervious and easy to clean. Carpets must not be used and all surfaces must be jointless as far as possible to prevent the accumulation of dirt or bacteria. When choosing products and materials to achieve these standards, it is important to consider the most favourable practical solution as well as appearance and budget. For example, materials such as wood and stone create a very traditional look while modern synthetic products such as plastic, laminate and veneer give a more clinical appearance and are more cost effective but far less durable.
Adequately accessible changing and storage facilities away from decontamination areas should be considered within the layout of a new or re-designed practice. Clothing worn in clinical and decontamination areas must not be worn outside the practice and, with a little ingenuity, a staff room with flexible furnishings such as stacking chairs and tables can be arranged for workshops with pull down screens within the cabinetry for presentations.
The type of practice that you want in the future is directly related to how you work and what types of equipment and technology you use or aspire to. A professional working environment with effectively designed clinical rooms, maybe allocated hygienist rooms and a space devoted to treatment, presentation and consultation is desirable.
When designing a building for dental use, the technology must also be considered to make each space fully functional, convenient and professional. Dealing with technical problems after construction or re-design leaves the surgery with compromised access for operators or unsightly exposed cable runs.
Clear design, expert knowledge and advice can make your ideal dental practice a reality. To avoid difficulties with property development and the labyrinth of snags involved in creating a successful dental practice, the expertise of an architectural design company such as Roger Gullidge Design, with specialist knowledge of the industry should not be underestimated.
Realising your dreams and building the future of your business is about creating the most efficient working space possible, while ensuring expert craftsmanship and compliance for definitive peace of mind.
References available on request.