THE WAITING AREA FORMULA
You might not think that the design of a dental office waiting room is crucial to creating an optimal experience, but think again. For the past 20 years, a general formula has dictated how large your waiting room should be, suggesting 2 to 3 waiting chairs for each operatory.
Let’s consider an example for a 2,500 sq. ft. practice with 6 operatories. According to this formula, you would need between 12 and 18 waiting chairs—calculated as follows:
12 chairs (6 operatories x 2 chairs) would require 108 sq. ft. (12 chairs x 9 sq. ft. each).
18 chairs (6 operatories x 3 chairs) would need 162 sq. ft. (18 chairs x 9 sq. ft. each).
However, we believe this formula is outdated and should not be used for dental waiting room design—unless your office operates under specific circumstances, such as treating families or children, where you know that each patient will likely bring at least one companion.
A BETTER USE OF SPACE
Here is why we think that this formula is outdated and why this particular dental waiting room design should not be used. (Unless your office operates under specific circumstances, e.g., you treat families or kids and you know that every patient will bring at least one companion). No one likes to wait. When we visit the dentist, we want to receive our treatment and leave as quickly as possible. This sentiment is especially true for newer generations; Millennials and Generation Z. So why are we still planning spaces that accommodate waiting patients? Instead, we should focus on optimizing our use of space.
We've all heard it before: “We don’t make money in our waiting area.” This is absolutely correct. So why allocate space for patients to wait when that area yields no return on investment? Your waiting room design is often perceived as the first impression, but we believe it’s actually the front desk, your logo, and the receptionist that create that initial interaction. Investing in a well-designed front desk and hiring a personable receptionist is what truly makes a memorable first impression. While it's important to enhance your entry area, it’s equally vital to invest in your operatories—where both you and your patients spend most of your time. A comfortable, well-designed operatory will encourage patients to return, while sitting in a waiting chair for an hour likely won’t. Contact us to hear more about our philosophy and workflows on how to make your dental office waiting room design more successful.
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