Time to refresh your practice?

There are many reasons why you may decide to refresh or totally refurbish an existing dental practice. Your patients, your professional team and your ambitions for growth will all be important factors to consider. So too will your financial situation, although it’s important not to forgo investment into the business in favour of increasing profits as this will often only provide a short-term solution. If it’s been a while since you designed your practice, or if there have been significant changes in terms of staff, clinical focus or physical building alterations in the past year, this might be a good opportunity to review your practice design and consider making some improvements.

The signs are there

If you take the time to properly assess your business, there will be signs that a refurbishment is necessary. And these go much further than peeling wallpaper or scuffed paintwork ­– although these are important to rectify to maintain a professional and high-quality environment.

For example, is the practice becoming overcrowded, with time in surgeries constantly being juggled in order for both your dentists and dental hygienists/therapists to see patients? Do you run out of chairs in the waiting room on busy days with back-to-back appointments? It may be time to consider a remodel or even an expansion so that you optimise patient and professional comfort as you grow.

Another sign that something is amiss could be productivity issues. If one or more aspects of the daily workflow are somehow disjointed or causing stress for staff, the business will likely benefit from enhancing ergonomics. Re-arranging the layout, building dedicated areas for decontamination or staff relaxation, as well as assessing the surgeries for potential places to improve efficiencies, should all lead the re-design process. Not only will this increase productivity, but it will also likely have positive implications for staff satisfaction and comfort in the workplace as well.

Life cycle events

Aside from physical signs that changes are needed, certain life events of your business will necessitate a partial or full makeover. Narrowing or changing your clinical focus, for instance, from general dentistry to dental implantology, will mandate the surgeries be equipped specifically for this type of surgery and restorative dentistry. Treatment centres may need new modules or features added or to be replaced altogether in some cases. This will ensure that the whole dental team has easy access to the high-quality instruments, handpieces and other equipment they need to deliver exceptional patient care.

Should you decide to expand your services by building a new surgery or extending the building, it may again pay to update the design throughout the premises for consistency purposes. You want your practice interior to tell a story and to communicate your ethos at every turn, not just in the one shiny new surgery.

The same could be said if business ownership changes in any way – maybe you welcome a new business partner or are even thinking about selling to an associate. Such an event could be marked throughout the building by updating the branding to reflect the latest changes.

Getting started

Whatever your motivation for giving your practice a facelift ­– and no matter how drastic a change you are aiming to make – it’s important to adequately prepare for a refurbishment project. You need to understand why you’re doing it and what you hope to achieve, as well as what your budget is and how you plan to manage the transformation while continuing to see patients (if that’s your intention).

From here, you’ll need to do some research to identify the most appropriate new equipment, cabinetry and furniture for your business, designing the practice to optimise the space available and promote comfort for both patients and team members. With so much to think about, it can be hugely beneficial to work with experts in the field who can offer fresh ideas, share expert market insights and guide your new practice design to help realise your vision. RPA Dental is one such provider of design services, utilising decades of experience specifically within dentistry to cultivate elegant yet functional spaces that are synonymous with the clinical excellence you provide. They also work with globally-renowned brands to bring you premium dental equipment that is optimised for reliability, predictability and longevity, further supporting your patient services and streamlining your professional workflows.

With the right support and careful preparation, you can update your entire practice design for the benefit of your patients, your team and your business bottom line. Every other aspect of your dentistry is optimised for exceptional results, make sure you have a practice environment to match.

For more detail about the solutions and services available from RPA Dental, please visit www.dental-equipment.co.uk, call 08000 933 975 or email info@rpadental.net

 

Adam Shaw Bio

My name is Adam Shaw, and I am the sales Director here at RPA Dental ltd. Married to my wife Michelle and with two teenage boys, weekends are mostly taken up with their sporting activities and social diaries.

Having started life as an apprentice engineer with RPA Dental some 24 years ago, I have seen the Dental industry change and evolve considerably since first starting with the company.

At 16, working as an engineer I attended college one day a week and after a four-year period completed my qualification in electrical and mechanical engineering. From here I spent 5 years in the service department until gaining promotion to a senior status, responsible for managing the team, running my own installation projects and keeping quality levels to a high standard.

Coming from technical background allowed me to understand the equipment specifications and fundamental surgery requirements in its entirety and offered the base line on which to move over to my commercial role in 2011.

Our emphasis has always been on service and support to our clients, and this has continued with our holistic approach to designing surgeries and assisting in an optimum workflow with our valued customers.

My role within the business now is to offer our clients the help and support required on various levels dependant on their individual needs, whilst working with our manufacturing partners to ensure our portfolio brings a complete and extensive offering.