1/18/2024 0 Comments Dental office layout![]() The modular construction of the workstation (and its accessories) allows the flexibility and versatility of personalized design and expansion when necessary (Figure 2). This example is the Penta model by Dental-Arte, ergonomically designed to make better use of space. The workstation shown here is the KaVo Classic model by KaVo Corporation.įigure 3. ![]() Doctors can build their desired workspace using more than one workstation. The workstation shown here is the KaVo Select model by KaVo Corporation.įigure 2. Each lab bench is designed for dental use and can be easily moved from one room to another to create the desired workspace. And just as simply, it can be carried out, meaning that the room can be used for another purpose later, if so desired (Figure 1).įigure 1. It can simply be carried into a room and placed wherever needed. The initial obvious benefit of a customized workstation (meaning a lab bench specifically designed for dental use) or lab (complete with modular counters, etc) is that it negates the time and cost of planning and building a lab workspace. ![]() This article looks at why a lab of this type (modular) would be suitable for the dental office and what features to look for in the equipment itself. Luckily, there are companies who have been making lab equipment for years, and this equipment is now making its way into the dental office. Much effort and planning has gone solely into the operatory in dental offices, leaving the lab area neglected. And there it is! Unfortunately, aside from pouring and trimming models, and polishing temporaries or dentures, there aren’t many other functions accomplished. So, in any remaining “room,” the sink location is determined, a counter and some drawers are built around it, and cabinets are hung. Not many dentists would dedicate a space as large as an operatory to building a lab. ![]() Most labs don’t even include a place to sit! Also, many lab spaces are just too small. With many dentists performing added lab procedures, it readily becomes obvious that the current poorly planned labs don’t do the trick anymore. Of course, making things easier for our staffs and us by decreasing strain and unnecessary movement has the by-product of reducing “WMSDs,” or workplace musculoskeletal disorders. OSHA refers to ergonomics as “the relationship of the human/environmental interface that does not produce injury.” Although OSHA’s aim is to reduce workplace injuries, there is probably a better reason (at least in a dental setting) to have ergonomic design. These days, with the buzzword “ergonomics” rolling off the tongues of dental manufacturers and occupying the ever-legislative minds of OSHA officials, we are all but forced to consider ergonomics ourselves. The most technical fact received for planning your lab may have been to set the counter height at 34 inches from the floor! Some cabinetry and shelves are likely included. The basic “necessities” for the in-office lab traditionally have been a counter space with sink and plaster trap, a polishing lathe, vibrator, and perhaps a model trimmer. Fact is, many labs double as storage space for supplies! You could say that most in-office labs were designed as an afterthought-squeezed into any available, albeit small, space. If your office is like most dental offices around the nation, the lab space you have is probably small, cluttered, and not too functional.
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