Küster Dental Weblog

What’s in a Countertop?

When working on your dental office design one of the details that needs attention is the type of countertops to use in various applications. There are countertops throughout a dental office design and, while the various countertops may coordinate, they certainly do not have to be made of the same materials. There are various considerations that go into the selection of the countertop material to use, such as location, client visibility, moisture levels, and price.

In wet areas, such as a lab or sterilization room, I typically recommend using a solid surface material such as Corian®, as laminates can often have seams that do not handle a lot of moisture well. In these same rooms, however, if there isn’t really going to be a lot of moisture a plastic laminate will work just fine and save on cost.

In staff lounges I typically recommend plastic laminates as these rooms rarely get visited by patients and one can save on the cost of a solid surface material.

Now, if there is the possibility for extreme heat exposure to the countertop, I only recommend granite. Of all of the countertop material choices granite is the most indestructible and the most heat resistant. One can put an extremely hot pan or iron directly on the countertop and never have an issue. The same cannot be said of any other material.

In public spaces, such as the client bath, operatories, and especially the front counter, I recommend stepping up to something other than a plastic laminate. Solid surfaces, whether they be a Corian® type material, concrete, quartz, or a natural stone, all give the impression of quality that plastic laminates just aren’t able to do. So, to best communicate solidity and quality in your dental practice it is important to spend the additional dollars on a countertop made from one of these other materials. The old saying goes, “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” To cement in the minds of your patients and prospective patients the quality of your practice you want the front reception counter to make a good impression.

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Selecting Colors for Your Office

Posted in dental design, dental office design, interior branding, interior design with tags client experience, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office design, dental office interior design, interior dental design, interior dental office design, interior design, interior design for dental clinic, office design on 8 February 2010 by James

In working with my dental clients to create unique dental office designs, one of the principal areas of focus is always the color scheme. We work together around whatever their “defining touch” is to craft a color schemed that will make their dental office stand out from the rest, communicate their vision for their dental office, and make their patients relaxed and comfortable.

Regardless of the ultimate color scheme selected, a few considerations always enter into the equation. First, colors in the operatories should be light and neutral. We do not want anything from the wall colors that will reflect onto or cause interference with determining true and accurate colors for color matching cosmetic details on patients’ teeth. This is obviously a quality of care issue and one that can easily be achieved through careful thought and color scheme selection.
Second, the same issue as above applies to the lab where color work is also performed. Again, the colors of the walls should not negatively impact the quality of patient care.

Lastly, avoid the use of the color red. Red, especially in its darker tones, reminds people of blood. The psychology of color is a fascinating thing and so many people are already anxious about visiting their dentist in the first place. We don’t need to do anything in the dental office design that will aggravate this situation further. Our goal in dental office design and color selection is to mitigate and reverse patients’ anxiety, not enhance it.

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How Healthy is Your Office?

Posted in dental design, dental office design, ergonomics, interior design with tags cancellations, client experience, customer experience, dental cancellation rates, dental cancellations, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office, dental office design, dental office ergonomics, dental office interior design, HIPAA, interior dental design, interior dental office design, interior design for dental clinic, office design, OSHA on 4 February 2010 by James

You are a dental health professional, charged with taking care of and assuring your patients’ oral health. As we move into the new year, however, it might be timely to step back a moment and assess the general health of your dental office and see if it is in as good of shape as it needs to be.

Here are a few questions that can quickly help you assess your dental office’s general health:

• Do your front counters allow for separate check-in and check-out of your patients?
• Is a portion of the check-in & check-out counters lowered to wheelchair height?
• Is sharps disposal separate from other waste?
• Are the lamps in your operatories and lab color corrected?
• Are all bio waste disposal receptacles covered?
• Are treatment, payment, and/or appointment scheduling conducted where other patients can hear the conversation?
• Are the counters in the staff lounge at wheelchair height?
• Is there a convenient place for staff to change out of scrubs prior to leaving the facility?
• Are mirrors adjusted for handicap use?
• Is signage in proper Braille and hung at the appropriate height and
• Will the seating in the Reception Room accommodate 300+ lbs individuals comfortably and without straining?

Your dental office design has a direct bearing on your cancellation rate, referral rate, and overall liability exposure. If you answered “no” to more than a couple of these items, then there is a good chance that your dental office design is having a negative impact on your profitability and increasing your risk exposure and you may want to give it a “check up.” Acting sooner rather than later might just make the difference between an okay 2010 and a great one!

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Windows or No?

Posted in dental office design, ergonomics, interior design with tags dental office, dental office design, ergonomics, dental office interior design, interior dental design, lighting design, eye strain, office design, dental design, dental interior design, interior design for dental clinic, dental office ergonomics, interior dental office design, client experience, dental experience, customer experience on 2 February 2010 by James

One of the great paradoxes in dental office design is whether or not the operatories should have windows or not. From the standpoint of creating a warm and welcoming environment for both patients and staff, having windows that look out onto a pleasant scene is a positive. Being able to see the sun lifts one’s spirits. (I know it sure does mine.) Also, there are offices that are situated near natural settings where one can see ponds and streams and trees and the bountiful wildlife they attract. They give patients something to watch other than just a plan wall or a static picture.

The flip side of this is that the operatory is flooded with natural light that various in intensity throughout the day and with the weather. In the interest of good ergonomics and reducing eye strain as designers we want to control the quality of the light and its intensity. In the interest of good quality dentistry, again, as designers, we want to control the quality of the light so that colors are always the same and high quality color matches are possible during dental procedures. We are all aware of how colors and textures change during different parts of the day as a result of the variable nature of our sun.

So, the challenge in good dental office design for operatories becomes this: “How do we replicate the positive features of having windows in operatories without them so we can achieve the highest quality of lighting possible?”

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Waiting Room or Reception Area

Posted in dental design, dental office design, interior design, practice management with tags client experience, customer experience, customer service, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office branding, dental office design, dental office interior design, interior dental design, interior dental office design, interior design, interior design for dental clinic, office design on 30 November 2009 by James

Does your dental office have a Waiting Room or a Reception Area? Merely a matter of semantics? Perhaps, but then again, if you were a patient which would you rather walk into and spend time in, a place that is warm and inviting and makes you feel comfortable and glad you came, or a holding area crowded with others similarly waiting for their turn?

As part of a well planned dental office design the goal is to create a Reception Area that greets your patients, makes them feel at home, relaxes them, and gets them ready for their treatment time. As part of a well run dental practice you don’t want your patients waiting any longer than is absolutely necessary. If you have patients waiting for very long, there is something going wrong in your operation that needs to be addressed. Of course, I realize that sometimes, things go awry, but those need to be the exception and not the rule.

“But, my patients always bring family members along with them that need to hang out in the Waiting Room,” you say. That may be all well and good, but again, would you rather them be waiting in a cold, sterile pen, like so many cattle waiting to be lead to slaughter, crowded with others similarly uncomfortable or in a Reception Area that makes them comfortable, offers them a refreshing beverage and provides them interesting viewing and/or reading material? Which brings me to my next point.

Whoever thought watching videos of dental procedures while sitting in the Reception Area is a good idea is out of their mind! No one wants to be reminded of possible dental problems and no one, other than perhaps the guy that made the video really wants to see the inside of people’s mouths! Such videos need to be reserved for educational opportunities one-on-one with your patients in a Consultation Room and not shown on continuous feed to everyone in the Reception Area. Seeing these things just builds anxiety in patients.

So, take a look at your dental office and ask yourself, “Do I have a Waiting Room or a Reception Area?” If your answer is the first, perhaps you’ll want to be planning to take a good, hard look at making changes to your dental office design in 2010.

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Being Thankful

Posted in dental office design, general, interior design with tags bosma, dental design, dental interior design, dental office interior design, IDDS, IDERA, Indianapolis Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, interior dental design, interior design, interior design for dental clinic on 25 November 2009 by James

Here in the US tomorrow is Thanksgiving. The quintessential American holiday. As we are all scurrying off to be with family and friends and prepare our holiday feast, I wanted to pause a moment and give thanks to all of my wonderful dental office design clients that I’ve had the pleasure to work with during the past year and before. Making your dental office practices more memorable and special in the minds of your patients and staff is the reason for our being. I am eternally grateful that I get to spend my time doing something that I so thoroughly enjoy and that I get to work with people that are incredible, talented, and a delight to be with.

In addition to my dental office design clients I’d like to pause and express thanks to Carolyn Hansen and her staff at the Indianapolis District Dental Society; the members and Executive Committee of the Indiana Dental Education & Resource Association; the Action Board members for Rainmakers on the Avenue Lunch; and the members and Directors of the Indianapolis Rainbow Chamber of Commerce. These groups help me and challenge me daily to do more, serve my dental office design clients better, and consistently strive to be better than I was the day before. Additionally, I’d like to thank the team at Bosma for the tremendous work they do on my behalf.

Of course, I cannot forget my family and friends that put up with me, inspire me, and keep me sane through all the craziness we call life.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!

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Dental Office Design Progress Photos

Posted in dental design, dental office design, interior design with tags dental design, dental interior design, dental office, dental office design, dental office interior design, interior dental design, interior dental office design, interior design, interior design for dental clinic, office design on 24 November 2009 by James

I always enjoy being able to share progress photos of dental office design projects. I especially enjoy doing so once paint starts going on the walls. On this dental office design remodel project the crew worked throughout the weekend to get a jump on the holiday week. I’ve very excited by what they got accomplished.

This is a view of the Reception Room before the dental office design remodel started.

Here is another view of the Reception Area before the remodel started.

Here is the new Reception Area. The spot covered in cardboard is the new fireplace!

This view gives you a hint at how the Reception Area is changing.

Here is a before shot looking down the hall toward the operatories.

This is a view down the same hallway. A bit different, huh?

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Finished Pictures of a Dental Office Design Project

Posted in dental design, dental office design, interior design with tags dental design, dental interior design, dental office, dental office design, dental office interior design, interior dental design, interior dental office design, interior design for dental clinic, office design on 20 November 2009 by James

These have been a while in coming, but I finally have some finished photos of a recent dental office design project to share. The charge from the client was to create a space that felt like an Apple computer store. You’ll have to let me know how well you think I did in capturing the same clean look and feel that the stores have.

Walking in the front door

The front office - complete with water feature!

Looking into an operatory

Another operatory view

The dental office sterilization room and lab

Looking down the hall

Client Bath - View 1

Client Bath - View 2

The staff lounge

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What Does Your Brand Smell Like?

Posted in branding, dental design, dental office design, interior branding, interior design with tags branding, client experience, customer experience, dental design, dental experience, dental interior design, dental office interior design, emotional branding, interior branding, interior dental design, interior dental office design, interior design, interior design for dental clinic, office design on 19 November 2009 by James

Silly question? Not really. One of the strongest senses we have and one that makes the greatest impression on how we remember spaces and experiences is what those spaces and experiences smell like. Much of the appeal of coffee houses is the aromatic smell of coffee. I know people that don’t even really like drinking coffee that like to hang out in coffee houses because they do like the smell of them.

Think back to when you were a kid and your mom just baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. What did the house smell like as the sheets of cookies came out of the oven? Isn’t this one of the most pleasant memories you have from childhood? Or, take the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. How often is the smell of pumpkin pie, fresh baked bread, and turkey roasting referenced when someone is describing their Thanksgiving memories? Obviously, the smells of the holiday have as much if not more to do with its special place in the American psyche as the actual flavors and time spent with family and friends.

In crafting a dental office design that builds a strong interior brand for clients it is as important to pay attention to the smells that are created as it is to the color, light, and textures that are used. To create a strong, positive mental image in the minds of patients, we want to engage as many of their senses in the dental office design as we possibly can. The sense of smell cannot be omitted from the list.

So, does your dental office smell bright and clean? Does it smell of antiseptic? How about vanilla, flowers, or spice? What images does its smell conjure up in the minds of your patients? Think about it, “What does your brand smell like?”

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Keep Regulations in Mind When Designing Your Office

Posted in dental design, dental office design, interior design with tags ADA, dental design, dental interior design, dental office, dental office design, dental office interior design, HIPAA, interior dental design, interior design, interior design for dental clinic, office design, OSHA on 17 November 2009 by James

In creating a successful dental office design there are so many more things to consider beyond just the color of the walls and what artwork is going to hang in the reception area. Most notably is making sure the design conforms to all governmental regulations such as ADA, OSHA, and HIPAA. In complying with these various codes and regulations, one area that often does not get the consideration its due is compliance with OSHA’s Blood Borne Pathogen regulations. “How does this regulation impact dental office design,” you ask? Good question!

One area that immediately springs to mind is designing the sharps disposal area to have the proper isolation and covers to be in compliance with the regulations. Sharps and biohazard disposal must be separated from other forms of waste disposal and these containers must be closed. When designing the waste receptacles and casework for these items, one must be certain to take the regulations into consideration.

Another area is the handling of uniforms. Any uniform or article of clothing that has come in contact with bodily fluids (blood) must be separated from other garments. Additionally, these garments are not to be worn from the premises. So, having a proper container for doctors and staff to put uniforms for proper cleaning before they leave the dental office is important. Additionally, having a proper place for doctors and staff to change into street clothes prior to leaving the office at lunch or the end of the day is just a matter of courtesy. Who really wants to change in a small bathroom or in the middle of the staff lounge?

Keeping various governmental regulations in mind when planning a dental office design will prevent a whole host of possible liability and fine exposure later.

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