Equipment & Technology Oral Surgery Catalog 2020 - 19

What to Know Before You Break
Ground on Your Oral Surgery Office
Mark Tholen, DDS, MBA

Leasing Office Space

When looking at leasing space, your office design should
include the following considerations.
1) Size and Shape of the Office
In general, 500 square feet of office space per operatory or
dental chair is needed in order to adequately size and place
all elements of the office; a recovery area for every two
patients should be counted/considered as one operatory.
The space shape of the office footprint should be as close
to a square as possible. The more irregular the shape of the
office footprint (unusual elements/irregularities in the shape
of the footprint), the more difficult it will be to create a highly
productive floor plan.
2) Parking
For lease spaces, it is typical for a landlord to allocate
three parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of office space.
However, a minimum of five parking spaces per 1,000 square
feet of office space is usually needed to provide enough
parking for the patients and staff of an oral surgery office.
3) Utilities
Before signing a lease, be sure the office space has adequate
utilities, including enough electric service: 400-500 amps
of power are necessary for the average surgical office.
Also, building code in your location may require a backup
generator for power outages.
4) Columns and Floor Space
Have your architect check the location and number of
columns present in the lease space to ensure the columns
do not interfere with placement of dental chairs, equipment,
or the flow of the space. Additionally, columns must be
sufficiently distant from the exterior walls in the clinical zone
so there is adequate depth for the operatory and the clinical
hallway. A general guideline is to add 50 square feet to your
space requirements for every column in your lease space.
5) Asymmetrical Spaces
If the perimeter of the space is irregular, this can present
some challenges with placement of dental chairs and
equipment. A general rule of thumb is to add 50-to-75 square
feet to the space requirements per irregularity.
6) Building Codes
Choose an architect who is familiar with dental and surgical
office design and building codes, especially fire codes.
Ensuring code compliance is critical when developing the
floor plan so building permits can be secured and the
office constructed.

7) Signage Availability
It is beneficial to have your leasing agent negotiate exterior
signage availability with the landlord and have it included in
the lease.

Building a Free-Standing Office

If you are looking to purchase property instead of leasing
space, there are additional design considerations.
1) Setbacks
Consider proper setbacks to comply with building codes. As
a general rule, you will need property that is six times the size
of the proposed office to accommodate the setbacks, parking
needs, and the building. For example, a five-operatory
practice would need a 2,500 square-foot building. Six times
that would mean 15,000 square feet of land to accommodate
the building, assuming that the land is relatively square
and usable.

OFFICE DESIGN

Creating the right design for your dental practice is about
more than aesthetics. There are many must-have design
elements that can make your practice highly productive
while minimizing stress for staff. We will explore leasing vs.
purchasing land for a free-standing building while concluding
with some design-specific considerations for surgical
practices.

2) Other Considerations
Review the elements mentioned when considering a lease
space with the exception of the parking and signage
availability.
Designing Your Surgical Clinical Zone
Below are some considerations specifically for the clinical
area of your office.
* Operatory Design. The design of the surgical suite/
operatory is often determined by the procedure focus and
whether or not an anesthesiologist is present. Most surgical
suites are approximately 12' x 14'.
* Recovery Room. A well-designed recovery area is essential
in optimizing patient flow and efficiently monitoring patients.
The nurses' station should be centrally located in the recovery
room so the nurse can oversee and access patients quickly.
It is common for the recovery room to be at the heart of the
surgical component of the clinical zone, and to be located
adjacent to the surgical exit.
* Standup Consultation Area. Consider allowing space for a
standup consultation area which is a proven powerful design
feature that enhances patient flow. You treat the patient
in the operatory, but converse with them or a caregiver at
the standup consultation area. The patient feels served and
simultaneously the operatory is being turned over.
* Surgical Exit. It is helpful for the exterior of the surgical
exit to have a porte-cochère or a drive-through, so
patient transfer to the car can be facilitated in a sheltered
environment.
To learn more about designing your oral surgery office,
contact Henry Schein Integrated Design Studio, or visit
https://www.henryscheinintegrateddesignstudio.com to
view sample floor plans, equipment & technology specs,
interior finishes, and more! Or, visit mynewdentaloffice.com
for additional information.

Contact your Henry Schein Representative for more information.

19
https://www.henryscheinintegrateddesignstudio.com http://www.mynewdentaloffice.com
Equipment & Technology Oral Surgery Catalog 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Equipment & Technology Oral Surgery Catalog 2020
