What to Know When Deciding to Open Walk-In Dental Offices

The U.S. is one of the countries where dental services are relatively easy to access. An older survey by the American Dentists Association shows there are about 61 dentists per 100,000 people. Some countries have about three dentists per 100,000. However, there’s still a need for better and easier access to dental services, which should be your biggest motivation to open a dental clinic. Here are the ten things you should know when opening walk-in dental offices.

1. Secure Necessary Office Furniture

As a dental practitioner, you will spend your work time oscillating between awkward positions and sitting for long hours. While there are other strategies you can use to ensure your musculoskeletal health, furniture is a big one. You are likely to spend, on average, 36 hours in the dental office, according to Indeed, so make your office worthwhile with exquisite furniture.

Go for ergonomic design to protect your spinal health and improve efficiency and productivity. However, you and your staff’s health aren’t the only things to consider—functionality matters too. When interviewing patients to understand their dental issues better, you and the patient will be seated. You might be scribbling something too, so consider functionality and personal health.

The other thing to consider is aesthetics. Some commercial office desks can give a dull appearance that doesn’t communicate warmth and care. Also, you don’t have to go for a ‘hospital look’ with blue and white furniture typical in many walk-in dental offices. You can be as bold as you want with your furniture by prioritizing patient comfort and satisfaction. Office furniture should be high-quality, durable, and firm to support high traffic.

2. Understand Your Practice

While you may be conversant with all aspects of dentistry, it takes a different skillset to open walk-in dental offices. You must understand your practice: what’s its purpose, target audience, brand identity, operational processes, and regulatory requirements? What do you envision for your practice in five years? What are the possible challenges you expect on the way?

Understanding your practice will help you be clear-headed when making decisions. For example, settling on family dentistry will reflect on your marketing strategy, choice of staff, and pricing strategies. Understanding your practice also gives you a competitive advantage over other firms because you can use your strengths to position yourself in the market.

To understand your practice, start planning early, for example, by attending dental conferences and seminars. If you have an old friend or colleague who started a practice, consult with them on how they started it. You can also walk around your neighborhood, taking note of existing dental clinics. What services are they offering? Is there a gap you can fill?

3. Finalize Your Services

In a sea of walk-in dental offices, finalizing your services is a winning strategy. It helps you craft your marketing strategy, structure your dental clinic and even get appropriate equipment for procedures such as root canal treatment without stretching too far. For example, if you were to make a printout for your services, it would be challenging if you didn’t have a scope. Finalizing your services helps you communicate to prospective patients what to expect.

When deciding which services to offer, it’s essential to balance urgent services customers need and common dental problems. For example, many may look into teeth whitening, but it’s not an emergency service. You can have preventative services such as check-ups, basic restorative services such as dental crowns, and specializations. As a walk-in dental clinic, expect and plan for emergency dental care for issues like knocked-out teeth.

Before finalizing services, do market research to understand patient demographics in your area: what are the prevalent oral issues? If there are other dental clinics in the area, what are their specialties, and what gaps can you fill? Don’t forget to evaluate your expertise and equipment, so you don’t end up offering services you can’t deliver.

4. Install Proper HVAC

The success of your practice is based on multiple aspects, from marketing to customer experience. One of the aspects you must not compromise on is the facility itself, especially the HVAC system. It makes the climate comfy for your staff and satisfies customers with the air quality. You may need to assess the current HVAC system for functionality and energy efficiency. An HVAC system may be functional, but keep your electricity bills above the roof.

Consider the size and need in your clinic when doing an AC install. A smart strategy would be working with an HVAC contractor to develop a plan that matches your needs. Factor in budget and durability when choosing an HVAC option. Alternatively, you can upgrade your current HVAC by replacing the filters. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you could save up to 15% in electricity costs by simply changing filters.

Whether you purchase a new HVAC or revamp an old one, you must have a maintenance plan. HVAC maintenance requires deliberate planning so you don’t cough up hundreds of dollars in costly repairs during a hot summer. Since you will be occupied with dental work, working with an AC contractor specializing in such HVAC installations for walk-in dental offices is better.

5. Clean Out Your Space

Nothing turns off customers like a dirty clinic, and this is easy to spot: sweet wrappers on the waiting lounge, dirty floors, unemptied waste bins, and spotted lab coats. Many people will gladly confess they dislike hospitals. Some have heard horror stories, so they are already sensitive to red flags, and dirt is a screaming red flag, so eliminate it. You don’t have to do it; you can hire a commercial cleaning service to keep your clinic pristine and hygienic.

Even before starting your physical dental practice, resolve to keep the offices clean. Planning will help you set up a system that works even when you are away. Once clients start flowing in, such elements will skip your mind. Have a designated staff responsible for ensuring the offices are always clean. You can also work with a professional to set up standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cleaning.

Cleaning is not only to keep your patients relaxed—it’s also for compliance purposes. A key element of complying with regulations for walk-in dental offices is managing waste responsibly. Have a system that helps staff separate waste from hazardous to general waste. A waste management company will find it easier to dispose of and manage your waste because you have labeled it.

6. Build Your Branding

There may be thousands of walk-in dental offices, but you must stand out to survive and thrive in the extremely competitive industry. One of the approaches that can help you stand out is branding yourself. Branding has become a relevant strategy to reach the increasingly picky customer base.

According to Oberlo, 88% of consumers rank authenticity as deciding which brand to like and support. Small things go a long way in building a brand that resonates with the market. As a basic start, invest in a commercial sign design. Remember to pick unique color combinations that are easy to recognize. Keep your logo, fonts, and colors consistent through all media, including printouts.

So, how do you build your brand? As a rule of thumb, keep your customers first. Ensure your messaging shows the customer you care about their pains and desires. Many people avoid the dentist’s office because they fear pain, so go your way to assure them and improve their experience. Another strategy is to be as involved in the community as possible—organize mobile dental clinics and education fairs.

7. Check For Roof Repairs

Apart from HVAC, check your roof, especially if operating from a single-story building. As a dentist, all your training is on treating dental problems. However, when you open walk-in dental offices, you start thinking like a business person. Apart from treating patients, you have to think about marketing, taxes, and even roofing repairs.

The smartest move would be working with roofing services because that’s their area of expertise. Have a roofing professional evaluate your current roof. Does it have signs of aging or failure? Knowing the exact condition of your roof will help you know the kind of expenses you’ll incur and how to negotiate with the owner for better terms.

A strong and durable roof will be an asset for your business – protecting your clients from the elements and keeping you focused on dental matters. The roof assessment will also guide your insurance claims. If the current roof can’t be repaired or will keep requiring repair here and there, choose to replace the roof altogether so you have a fresh start.

8. Hire Your Dream Team

Many walk-in dental offices will have a small team that makes everything flow smoothly. If you see multiple patients daily, you don’t have the time to take calls, update your social media pages, clean the lounge, and prepare patients for a major operation. So it would be best to have a team that believes in your brand, supports you, and understands the dental industry.

While you can have any team, get a dream team with players willing to communicate, accountable, independent, and life-learners. If they notice an area your office can improve, your office will be their first stop. They understand work hours and compensation but work for the bigger goal: customer satisfaction. Your dream team will be with you on the first floor as you build a client base and on the top floor after you succeed.

How do you ensure you hire the dream team? First, understand your practice: what drives you? What are your mission and objectives?

Your values and vision will help you pick the person who matches your goals. When creating job descriptions, be as detailed as possible so that prospective staff can check against them. Lastly, tap into your network for any referrals from trusted friends.

9. Prepare for Emergencies

Dental emergencies are common in the U.S., so it’s best to prepare for them. According to the American Dental Association, someone visits a hospital every 15 seconds because of a dental emergency. Preparing will help you provide effective and immediate dental care when your patients need it the most. Thus, your patients will associate your clinic with immediate care and concern.

From your inception, prepare emergency protocols for handling emergencies such as broken teeth. Always have dental supplies ready for dispensing so patients don’t have to wait too long for pain relievers. You can even use your emergency preparedness as a unique selling point by displaying it conspicuously on your entrance.

Communication is a key part of emergency response; it all starts with your staff. How well have you trained your staff to respond to emergencies? Is there a team leader to coordinate emergency cases? Next, implement a system for communicating with patients. Communicate to patients what they can do in case they have a dental emergency, especially during non-office hours.

10. Invest in Modern Equipment

Modern technology has revolutionized dentistry. We have intraoral cameras replacing mirrors and probes, digital X-ray machines replacing film-based X-rays, and electrical handpieces for pneumatic handpieces. As far as your budget allows, go for equipment that will make diagnosis easier and treatment possible.

If your budget is constrained and you can only buy one piece of modern equipment, opt for a Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system. It will help you do same-day restorations such as crowns and veneers. Because CAD/CAM is quite precise and accurate, there’s no need for adjustments—leaving your patients served and satisfied.

To bring it all together, starting walk-in dental offices may take some time, but with proper planning, you can stand out from your peers. You must balance marketing, caring for patients, your staff, and the facility. You can break down these aspects into small digestible bits and then work with a professional to craft a plan. These ten tips will help you hit the ground running in whatever order you plan them.