A-DEC
MISSION & PHILOSOPHY
Whatever career path you choose, A-dec is here to help you—whether you have our equipment or not. We hope you’ll think of us as a partner in your journey. We believe in empowering you to reach your goals.
HELP FOR CHALLENGING TIMES
A-dec is full of gratitude for the healthcare workers and volunteers, communities, and governments around the world who are on the front lines working to treat and contain the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. We are grateful for you, our dentists, and the patients you serve.We hope you find these programs and resources helpful.
Resources
ANGLES OF ACCESS APP
Learn the angles. Save your body. Along with an ergonomic dental chair and equipment, how you position your body for a better view is vital to your health and career. Learn how to improve sightlines and body mechanics with the A-dec Angles of Access app. Get the app for iOS or Android.
TIPS FOR STARTING A PRACTICE
Where to begin? Tips from an expert: Thinking about starting your own dental practice? These four practical tips from start-up dental CPA and start-up specialist Trent Watrous, offer reassuring advice. GET THE TIPS
SMART START PROGRAM
Where to begin? Tips from an expert: Thinking about starting your own dental practice? These four practical tips from start-up dental CPA and start-up specialist Trent Watrous, offer reassuring advice. GET THE DETAILS
EMPOWERING YOU
From our perspective in the industry, we’ve curated some topics we felt would be important to guide you along your path. DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE to learn more.
DESIGN YOUR DREAM DENTAL OFFICE
Design your dream dental office. The A-dec Inspire Me tool allows you to explore the operatory and equipment that are right for you. DESIGN NOW
What to look for when buying dental equipment
Purchasing dental equipment is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your practice. Choosing the right equipment increases your productivity, and ultimately, your success.
The Power of Color
Article provided by A-dec
What’s the style of your office? Are the furnishings classic, transitional, or modern? Does the layout support efficient traffic flow? So many design elements affect the feeling of an environment, from layout and aesthetics to decorating style. But, without a doubt, one of the biggest components is color.
Color is a powerful design tool that has an impact on influencing emotion, mood and even physiological reactions. Specific colors can make us feel warm, relaxed, nervous, or calm. As such, the color choices in your dental office can affect not only your patients, but your staff as well.
While there are many nuances to consider, from hue and tint to tone and shade, here’s a general overview of what color psychologists say different colors communicate:
Blue – Calm and tranquil. Blue is said to bring down blood pressure and is a soothing, relaxing, and serene color. Dark blues convey tradition, loyalty, and reliability. Blue is a favorite color globally.
Brown – Earthy, rich, and inviting. Brown feels natural, robust, and cozy, encouraging people to slow down and relax. A rich brown hue invokes a sense of intimacy and togetherness. Brown is also a color that works well with mixed textures.
Gray – Calm, sophisticated, and serene. Some consider it a bit too serious, but gray symbolizes strength, and serves as an ideal neutral backdrop for brighter accents.
Green – Relaxing, restorative, and restful for the eyes. Green takes us back to nature and evokes tranquility. It is believed to relieve stress, making it a good choice for medical facilities, schools, and offices.
Orange – Evokes excitement, adventure, and enthusiasm. Orange stimulates the appetite and increases energy. It’s considered a welcoming color for entryways.
Purple – Regal, eccentric, and mysterious. In its darkest values, purple is dramatic, sophisticated, and creative. Lighter shades, such as pale lilac, are considered restful and uplifting.
Red – Packs a punch and increases adrenalin. Red is a good choice if you want to stir up excitement or increase blood pressure, appetite, or passion. That makes it great for a restaurant, but not so much for a dental operatory.
Yellow – Cheery, uplifting, and energizing. Physiologically, yellow stimulates the mind and increases the analytical processes. While an attention-getter for dark hallways, too much yellow can produce feelings of frustration.
How do you choose a color?
Many interior designers recommend selecting one color from the largest pattern in the space, such as a painting. Others suggest taking a cue from the colors you personally like to wear. And, of course, consider the things that inspire you and bring you joy. Whether it’s spring meadow green from your favorite hiking photo or an azure blue that reminds you of tropical vacation waters, color can create a space that reflects your style … and feels just right.
Note on photo: “Colores” by ckmck is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
5 common oversights when it comes to practice planning
Courtesy of A-dec
Designing or remodeling your office takes a lot of up-front planning and there’s certainly no shortage of advice to follow … but just as important are those things you may not think about. Here are five considerations to add to your list.
- Plan for adequate sterilization
The sterilization center is literally the hub of your practice. Unless you have an unlimited number of instruments, you’ll quickly discover that, if materials don’t flow efficiently, neither will your stream of patients. Remember to include space for sterilization furniture, and choose pieces with efficient instrument processing and proper storage built right in to ensure a fluid workflow that doesn’t backtrack or cross back-and-forth through the same space.
(Hint: Ordinary cabinets aren’t designed to prevent those inefficiencies.) Also, be aware that many practices are now choosing to make sterilization “visible” to patients to show that it’s taken seriously.
- Design your working environment first
While the look and feel of your space is important in setting a mood, reflecting your personal style, and keeping both patients and staff relaxed and comfortable, don’t forget to budget for tools and equipment. If left as an afterthought, it can have a detrimental impact on your ability to practice efficient, effective dentistry. Look for equipment that minimizes movement and reduces the impact on your body so you can stay healthy and practice longer. Plan your operatory with your (and your staff’s) long-term health in mind. Your back, neck, hands, and joints will thank you.
- Focus on the total cost of ownership
Your investment in dental equipment will likely need to cover one or even two decades of use … and being too focused on saving money up front can cost you more in the long run. While initial purchase price is important, don’t let it overshadow consideration for the total cost of ownership throughout a product’s life in your practice. Make sure the equipment purchase price includes everything that makes it functional (sinks, faucets, power outlets, and dental cabinet installation, for example). And, before you commit to a purchase, talk with service technicians about the dental equipment they service most often, and also ask them what they like and dislike about various brands. Downtime is costly, and techs can offer tremendous insight about reliability.
(Another tip: Remember the old adage “keep it simple.” Well-designed equipment with fewer parts is less likely to break down or need servicing.)
- Be consistent
Keep operatory layouts the same from treatment room to treatment room. Standardizing everything from sinks and equipment to storage cabinets reduces training time for your team, reduces confusion and wasted time, and establishes a smooth workflow. In short, consistency equals efficiency.
- Build for the future
Leave room for your practice to grow. Think about what’s coming down the line and how you can be ready for it. If you’re building new, make sure you plan enough operatories for future growth, keeping in mind the implications on materials that flow through the practice. Plan your space for today (and tomorrow), even if it means leasing out your extra space for a few years.
One last tip: Have fun.
Exploring your treatment room options is an important step to remember when planning or updating your operatory. A-dec’s interactive Inspire Me tool is a great place to start. Just choose your layout and equipment, apply your favorite color combinations, and even request color samples, right from your computer or mobile device.
Note on photo: "Number 5" by Greenwich Photography is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/