Healthcare is a particular industry; hence specialist structural elements are unavoidable. However, medical and dental treatment are different healthcare subcategories that even insurance companies have separated.
A little over one million doctors will be practicing in the United States in 2021, according to Statista.com. IBISWorld.com estimates that there are almost 200,000 dental practices in the United States. These figures suggest that many healthcare facilities are required to meet patient needs. Medical brokers know not every healthcare institution will provide for every medical specialty. Therefore, just as medical and dental offices have different demands for healthcare services, they have different facility needs.
Requirements For Medical Buildings
Dental offices must adhere to the same building codes as medical offices. Several federal and municipal regulations impact the design of both medical and dental properties:
- America’s Law for People with Disabilities (ADA)
- Zoning Rules
- code for buildings
- National laws (such as HIPAA laws)
- Environmental Protection Agency and OSHA
However, the layout and structural requirements of medical and dental offices differ. Here are some of the main variations:
Dental Clinic vs. Medical Spaces
1. Individual Patient Rooms Versus Open Floor Plans
Treatments don’t necessarily include complete patient privacy in a typical dental practice. Open floor plans or partitions separate the operatories in dentistry offices (the space around the dental chair). But because of the nature of medical procedures, medical office layouts frequently contain patient rooms that are entirely enclosed.
2. X-Ray Equipment Specifications
X-ray equipment typically has its own space in medical offices. The walls of these spaces must be lined with lead. However, dental practices often opt to install x-ray heads per operatory, unlike medical offices. The operatories in dental offices that use walls to separate them can hold the x-ray heads, eliminating the need for additional cabinetry and cutting costs. But lead is still necessary for these walls. Lead-lined cabinets are used in dental clinics that opt to employ cabinetry to house X-ray heads.
3. Service Area
To fit hospital beds and gurneys, hospitals and operation centers must consider the width of corridors or doorways. However, dental clinics do not have to concentrate on the same items. An alternative recommendation is to allow at least 500 square feet for each dentist’s chair. Dentists typically require 2,000–3,500 square feet in total. It maximizes the flow of people and materials by using the available space.
Are Office Conversions Economically Sound?
Some dentists would love to have their facilities. But finding an existing dental facility at the right price in this market might be difficult. So, would buying an existing medical facility and turning it into a dentistry office be financially viable?
Dental practices must install gas connections, water lines, and other buildout features necessary to convert an existing medical structure. Turning a place into a fully functional dental practice can cost up to $75 per square foot. Leasing or buying an existing property would be more economical for a dentistry business. Each practice and facility must assess its markets, resources, and available properties.
