Dental Equipment Planning 101

The dental industry is a highly competitive one. Dentists have to be just as knowledgeable about teeth care and dental fillings as they are about running a business if they want to grow their practice. With the dental field predicted to see an influx of new, younger, and more diverse dentists, the competition will only get fiercer from here on out.

Dental practices will need to find more ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Unless they do so, it would become harder to attract and retain their customers.

One way that dentists can elevate their services and stand out is through their equipment, tools, and amenities.

Importance of Equipment Planning

Patients don’t need to know the ins and outs of how each piece of equipment works to understand that they enhance and elevate the level of care they receive. Equipment planning is how a dental clinic ensures they have the complete set of tools and equipment for all the services they offer.

All dental tools and equipment have a lifespan. Regardless of how much care and maintenance is done on the equipment, it will still reach its end. Equipment planning helps dentists anticipate this and prepare for it.

Moreover, dental equipment planning helps dental practices get maximum utilization of their equipment throughout their lifetime. This is because equipment planning also involves ensuring the clinic has access to maintenance or repair services and technicians.

Planning for Dental Equipment

Planning equipment for dental offices involves the usual tasks one would expect for any inventory planning stage. These include:

• Auditing existing equipment (for established practices)
• Equipment research
• Technology assessment
• Facility needs analysis
• Budgeting and expenses tracking
• Equipment selection
• Canvassing sellers and sourcing the items
• Dental facility room layout planning

Additionally, a large part of the actual planning stage goes into gathering information on regulatory compliance, maintenance services and support, availability of certified technicians, and much more.

Equipment monitoring and accurate record-keeping are also crucial parts of dental equipment planning. Having all the necessary equipment records, especially documents about its condition upon receipt and installation, can help facilitate maintenance and repair in the future.

Many medical and dental equipment planning firms also expand their services to include inventory tracking and documentation, ensuring warranty terms, and even installation.

Differences Between Dental and Medical Equipment

Just like how the dental field is considered separate from the medical field, the same logic applies to their respective equipment. Still, small overlaps are to be expected, since both fields are still under the healthcare industry.

These overlaps include tools and equipment such as sterilized gloves, operatory lights, and steam or autoclave sterilizers for dental and surgical equipment.

In general, though, dentistry requires field-specific tools and amenities. We’re not only talking about the obvious specialized equipment, such as dental patient chairs or intraoral cameras.

Dental practices require different x-ray imaging equipment, delivery systems, utility equipment, and operatory cabinetry, as well. Because of the different necessary equipment, there is also a large difference between arranging or planning the dental and medical room layout.

The Bottom Line

Purchasing dental equipment will always be an exciting endeavor. It doesn’t matter whether you’re starting a new practice or simply upgrading your clinic. Researching, planning, and selecting the right equipment to elevate your dental services is crucial.

It takes time, but it’s worth it. It can take a lot out of you and your practice, though. For such cases, it’s best to call in professionals. That way you won’t need to sacrifice either your time or the quality of your dental equipment and services.

VOC Associates

Find the right equipment you need through VOC Associates! Visit our website or call (216) 284-4430 today!