Decide the place and complete all formalities to take possession of the premises. It is better to take the services of a competent property lawyer and pay him fees so that you are shielded from unscrupulous elements trying to make some quick money from you.

Once you have possession of the premises, inspect it correctly and if you are going to engage an interior designer then get him/her to inspect the premises.

• • Interior Work While your architect plans a good design for your clinic – the most important things should be taken care of like the position of each equipment for ease of use.
  • Dental Chair
    1. 1. 1. PositionEnough space should be left around the chair for movement of the dentist as well as the dental assistant. Ideal to have a working platform behind the headrest as it allows for easy access to the instrument trays, as well as space for other equipment, regularly used like the Curing Light, Scaler, Apex Locator, Air motor, etc. When the platform is behind, chair position can be determined with the cut-out of the chair in the most comfortable (for the dentist) backrest position/ most reclining position. Better to finalize the chair before starting interior work as it allows optimum chair positioning. It will allow for the plumbing, the electrical input/output as well as connection to the compressor to be underground avoiding a whole lot of wires hanging around the chair.

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       1. Plumbing
          1. Drainage line has to be underground & planned well with proper slope, ease of cleaning, etc. as clogging is one of the most common problems.
          2. In the case of an attached toilet, if possible have two separate basins: 1 in the operatory, 1 inside/outside the bathroom as it allows for free wash areas: for the dentist & instruments, etc. If possible have separate drainage pipes as well.
       2. Electricals Try & avoid a clutter of wires around the chair. Have at least 2 points more than the required no. next to the chair. Have at least 2 5/15 points next to the chair as some of the equipment may need 15 amp points. Compressor plug will be next to the compressor, but the switch should be on the chairside panel.Extra points at the consultation table & reception area are a must.

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  • Compressor: Refer planning section above.
  • Ultra Sonic Scaler: There are three basic types – magnetostrictive, piezo-electric and Odontoson™. Most commonly used is piezo-electric scaler.The scaling tip vibrates in the ultrasonic range of 20-45 kHz (i.e., 20,000 to 45,000 times per second), with an optimum frequency between 18 kHz and 32 kHz.
  • X-Ray machine/ RVG: Variety of dental X-Ray machines are available. Price ranges from Rs. 40000 to 80000 /-.
  • Curing Light
  • Sterilization / Infection Control: Various viruses and bacteria colonize or infect the oral cavity and respiratory tract. These organisms can be transmitted in dental settings most often through direct contact with blood, oral fluids or other patient materials and indirect contact with contaminated objects (e.g., instruments, equipment, or environmental surfaces).

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    Infection Control in the dental practice focuses on the use of sterilization procedures that will be able to eliminate cross-infection from a dental professional to a patient, from a patient to the dental professional and between two patients.The use of barriers such as gloves, masks, instrument trays, tray covers, covers of the working surfaces and light handles is expected. There are specific disposable instruments used in the dental practice like gloves, masks syringes. that control cross-infection efficiently. Those which are meant for repeated use are cleaned through a series of steps such as chemical cleaning, ultrasound cleaning, heat sterilization, using various equipment and applicable cycles followed by proper handling after sterilization.

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    Some of the most popular equipment is listed below:

    1. Autoclave – Programmed autoclave machines are better than conventional steel drum type as they have a shorter cycle, need less space & more convenient to use. No doubt they are costlier but are more reliable.
    2. Dry Heat Sterilizers.
    3. Ultra Sound Cleaners are used to remove debris from instruments before putting them through Autoclave or Dry Heat Sterilizers.
    4. Glass Bead Sterilizer – for endo files, burs, etc.
    5. UV chamber
    6. Chemical sterilization.

• Tools & Instruments
  1. Dental Instruments (download list)
     • 15-20 sets of mirror, tweezers, probes.
     • 2-3 sets of a straight elevator, moon’s probe: best to buy at conferences as one gets a wider choice.
  2. Dental Material (download list)
• Installation & commissioning is carried out by the respective companies providing the equipment.Estimated date of delivery of the Dental Chair & X-ray machine has to be coordinated with the completion of interior work.

See Next Slide 

Do You Need To Hire More People?

(Remember you will need to pay salaries)