CATEGORY 122 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST Form follows function. It’s been one of the fundamental tenets of modern design over the last century. While intuitively it seems to make good sense, does it allow for, or place appropriate value on patient comfort or an individual dentist’s personality when it comes to their working environment? A modern dental practice needs to be as e cient as possible to accommodate the requirements of those who operate in it, but this e ciency should not come at the cost of patient comfort or the opportunity to create a unique positive patient experience. Visiting a practice can be an anxious time for many patients and although you may be con dent in your ability to treat them does your practice, and indeed their patient experience accurately re ect that level of con dence? Creating an environment that strikes the perfect balance between e ciency and patient comfort while communicating your SURGERY DESIGN & FITOUTS Creating your new practice What does your practice say about you as a dental professional? By Sam Koranis unique personality is a di cult task and one best left to an expert. is is where a specialist practice designer can help. Consult a specialist or DIY? As an intelligent dental professional, you may think that the design of your practice is something you can do yourself. After all, you know yourself better than anyone and you can surely bring a sense of your personality to the design. While this may seem like a good option at the outset, more often than not the result and the process are less than optimal. Good practice design requires a speci c set of skills and disciplines tempered with considerable experience for the best results. Like practice, it is best left to a specialist. Another consideration is whether to contract a complete design and build solution or tendering each part of the overall project and coordinating it yourself. When the design and construction of your new practice has been spread among several di erent providers, the responsibility is diminished. If things go wrong you may nd yourself in a situation where contractors are blaming each other and you are stuck in the middle with an expensive mess. Coordinating the design and build of your new practice is an extremely time intensive activity that requires a lot of energy and specialist knowledge. By engaging a complete design and build solution provider, you are able to take a behind the scenes approach and continue your normal working life while your new practice takes shape. In addition to the time bene ts, one of the biggest strengths in contracting a complete design & build solution is that the responsibility for the outcome is with a single company. ere is no place to hide if things don’t go according to plan. The Design Brief A specialist practice designer will take a holistic approach, taking the time to understand your particular needs and desires before starting to design your practice. rough a series of meetings with you and any other key stakeholders, the designer will compile your thoughts
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTc3NDk3Mw==