Page 12
— Health Care Properties Quarterly — September 2016
Design
W
hat are the design consid-
erations from a functional-
ity standpoint for a dental
office? You want an office
that has been designed
optimally with the needed space at
key locations. A well-designed office
requires a number of functional
considerations, including Americans
with Disabilities Act compliance but
not limited to it. I encourage you to
review the below 10 considerations.
What is the space needed behind
the head of the dental chair?
Space
behind the dental chair and in front
of the rear twelve’ o clock cabinet
should be 22 to 24 inches. Twenty-
four inches is better, as this allows
the doctor and the assistant to
easily rotate their chair position
behind the head of the dental chair
and treat the patient. Too often, we
see 16 to 18 inches or less, which
is inadequate from a functionality
standpoint.
Do you know the minimum size of an
operatory?
A minimum operatory
size should be 9 feet by 11 feet; 10
feet by 12 feet is better. A 10-foot-
wide operatory can allow two-sided
cabinets at 18 inches width for a
total of 36 inches. The dental chair
is about 26 inches in width. Add-
ing this to the 36-inch depth of side
cabinets brings it to 62 inches, leav-
ing 58 inches. A 32-inch-wide aisle
between the chair and the side cabi-
net allows for comfortable wheel-
chair accessibility. The other aisle
will be about 26 inches wide.
Do you know how ADA requirements
affect an office size?
An office 1,500
square feet or larger requires two
ADA restrooms and an office that is
smaller than 1,500 sf requires only
one ADA accessible
restroom. An office
larger than 1,500
sf also requires the
high-low bi-level
drinking fountain
and a mop sink.
These require-
ments do not apply
when the proposed
office space is
part of an existing
building that has
common men’s
and women’s rest-
rooms on the same
floor.
How can separate
check-in entry and
check-out exit doors help your prac-
tice?
These can be very beneficial
from an internal office traffic flow
standpoint. The check-in door and
check-out door can enter and exit
from a common entrance vestibule.
This way, the people checking out
exit from a separate door and do
not conflict with people entering
from the check-in door. In pediat-
ric practices in particular, where
larger number of family members
accompany the minor undergoing
treatment, separate entrance and
exit doors are extremely beneficial.
This can also work for other larger
practices.
What is the rule of thumb for the
number of operatories based on office
size?
The average rule of thumb for
the number of operatories is 400 sf
per operatory. This shows an aver-
age dental office size of 2,400 sf can
comfortably expect to have six den-
tal operatory treatment areas. Try-
ing to include additional operatories
can mean a small or nonexistant
doctor’s office or consult room.
Therefore, one less operatory can
mean an extra office, storage space
or a restroom.
Have you considered a dedicated play
area for kids?
A safe and separate
play area for kids is highly recom-
mended. Often, entire families come
for a kid’s appointment. It is a good
idea to have a large enough waiting
area for a pediatric practice and a
dedicated play area to entertain the
kids.
Do you know the number of exits you
should have?
A dental office space
in a sprinklered building with less
than 100 feet travel distance from
the most remote point to the at-
grade main exit/entrance requires
only one entrance/exit. If the travel
distance is more than 100 feet from
the most remote point, then two
exits/entrances are required. For
an unsprinklered space, the corre-
sponding travel distances become
75 feet, unless the number of occu-
pants of the space is under 30.
How can exterior windows and
access to grade help your practice?
Having access to exterior windows
in the dental operatory areas is very
valuable for the patients to be able
to look to the outside versus looking
at a blank interior wall in a space
no having exterior windows. Also
having access at grade is very help-
ful for people with special needs
and seniors. Also, if the space has
access to exterior, then the medi-
cal gas closet consisting of nitrous
oxide and oxygen tanks can draw
Ashwin
Bhavikatti, AIA,
NCARB, LEED AP
Principal,
Bhavikatti
Architecture LLC,
Centennial
Windows and the opportunity for patients to be able to look outside is a key consider-
ation in designing a dental office.
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