Dentistry sure requires skills. One must have the right knowledge of the technicalities as it’s an uncertain profession. But a dentist also requires some amount of designing & accounting skills. Why?
The answer is simple. If a dentist wants to be self-employed, it means he/she is looking to build his/her own dental clinic. This is where creativity and math come into play. A good dentist is the one who knows the proper settings that qualify dental standards.
Below is a guideline that one can follow in order to build & design his/her own clinic.
Vision – The vision should be totally clear. The plans should be well setup. For e.g. do you want to keep the treatments limited to a small scale or do you want to use your clinic to expand into a hospital?
Design Trends – A dentist must be aware of the designing trends of the time. New advances like high tech equipment’s, new types of ceramic materials, new implants and surgery types must be looked at during setup.
Right People – This is a universal rule that applies to any start-up or business. Having the right people ensures faster growth with maximum productivity.
Costing – For starting a clinic, the dentist must remember the following costs:
- Equipment prices
- Rent and maintenance costs
- Electricity, water, or telecom bills
- Staff requirements: the number of receptionists, paramedics, and associate doctors needed for the job
- Buying goods like furniture, TVs, ACs, computers, refrigerators etc.
- Marketing costs (if necessary)
Legal Approvals – Setting up any firm requires permission. Some necessary permission includes those from the Health/Dental department, fire, water & electricity department, staff relations department, and document & license registration department.
The Room Setups – The different types of rooms required in a dental clinic are consultation rooms, treatment rooms, staff break rooms, restrooms, X-ray facility/Darkrooms, utility rooms, storage rooms, sterilization areas & the dentist’s private office. There are various types of treatment room configurations like “Y”, “H”,”U” type. One could take a look at them and plan.
Be Arch-Dental or Be Creative – The dentist must visualize and consider the possibilities of him/her being an architect. They need to combine their dental knowledge with architectural explanations.
The question the dentist must ask here is – “What is best for the clinic?” For e.g. lighting, plumbing, coloring, equipment placement, floor plans & keeping stress reducing items like background music, fish aquariums, small fountains, entertainment magazines (comics for kids), books etc. are to be kept in mind.
Keeping Records – Keeping patient & account records after dental setup is a must. Dental software is available in the market that helps you manage these easily. This is necessary for dental insurance.
Attention to Detail – The more professional the clinic looks, the more trust you earn. Make sure to have infection control measures & updated equipment that will give the impression of an appealing clinic.
At the end of the day, you need to take care of three things: Maintaining clinic standards, measuring finances & constantly monitoring the quality. Make sure there are no malpractices happening right under your nose and the clinic will progress well.
