Article courtesy Midmark

Companion animals are at risk of developing some form of periodontal disease by the time they are three years old. By encouraging annual comprehensive oral and radiographic evaluations, you can help many avoid painful oral diseases.

Can your practice accommodate treating more dentistry patients? In addition to obtaining proper training and examining your workflows, it might be time to evaluate your space and equipment. Do you have a dedicated dentistry space? Are you constrained by your current layout or is a new building in your future?

As you discover your patient care and revenue opportunities and begin thinking about expanding your dentistry program, consider the following practices for creating a dentistry space that fits your needs.

Be purposeful with a dedicated space

Dedicated dentistry spaces better support workflow standardization. Your team can perform more efficiently when everything you need for comprehensive oral and radiographic evaluations is in one area.

• One-Table Dentistry: In a one-table configuration, 10 feet by 12 feet of space is the ideal minimum. Efficiency can be impeded and safety compromised by squeezing two tables into a small space.

• Two-Table Dentistry: Two tables are optimal for performing procedures simultaneously. Minimally, a space that is 10 feet by 21 feet allows at least 6 feet between the two tables, creating safety related exposure to x-ray radiation and aerosolized bacteria.

Support care team comfort, health, and safety

When choosing equipment for your dentistry space, talk to your account manager about ergonomic equipment and seating that properly aligns your neck, spine, and hips to help reduce muscular tension and fatigue.

• Tables: Adjustable-height wet or dry tables are the best options for dentistry to support optimal ergonomic posture.

• Equipment Placement: Mounting equipment to the wall, chase, or ceiling frees floor space for greater staff movement around the patient. Intraoral radiography units, dental delivery, anesthesia machines, multiparameter monitors, and lights can all be mounted.

Include your entire team in training opportunities

Everyone in your hospital has a role to play. Investing in your team can increase staff satisfaction, potentially reducing turnover or minimizing knowledge gaps if someone leaves. Whole-team training opportunities ensure everyone is clinically and confidently prepared to support a comprehensive program and better patient outcomes.

Dentistry is the largest untapped source of patient care in most small animal practices. Your space can support more than treating patients with disease—envision where you can

offer preventive oral care, too. Lean on the clinical design expertise of your Covetrus® account manager and manufacturer to help you create a dental suite that’s right for your practice, staff, and care objectives. Your commitment to dentistry will inspire your team to follow your lead. And the investment you make today will benefit your patients and practice for as long as your doors are open.

These items should be available for every dental procedure:

• Adjustable-height table
• Ergonomic seating
• Procedure lighting
• Magnification eye loupes
• Multi-parameter monitor
• Anesthesia machine
• Dental delivery unit
• Digital dental x-ray
• Mouth props to protect
• digital sensors
• Hand instruments
• Patient warming unit
• Burs
• Sterilizer

Success story: The benefits of a dedicated dental suite

An Illinois-based practice owner had recently remodeled his front office space and was keen to renovate his dental suite to increase the number of patients he could treat. At capacity in his current area, simply upgrading equipment would not help meet his goals.

The existing one-table space was 10 feet by 12 feet, allowing one doctor to perform procedures at a time. The new two-table space is 12 feet by 17 feet. Each table has its own equipment, enabling two doctors to work simultaneously or to use the second table to prepare the next patient for a procedure, enhancing patient care efficiencies.

One-year post-remodel, the practice increased the number of comprehensive oral and radiographic evaluations performed from 230 to 386 patients, a 67% gain. The hospital did not need to solicit new clients to realize a revenue gain. These results reflect creating an efficient dentistry space, choosing the proper equipment, and aligning staff through training.