The average time to sell a property in many markets right now is six to 12 months, but finding the right property is just the first step of any pediatric dentist office’s ongoing challenge to create a friendly atmosphere. Whether you’re a dental professional opening your own practice or you’re simply giving your current office a new look, keeping the proper design in mind is key to helping patients feel safe and comfortable during their appointment. Here are just a few tips to remember when adding some aesthetic appeal and practicality to your pediatric dental office space.

Focus on Reception

As you take on your redecorating project, think about how patients will perceive your office as they first walk through the door. This usually involves the reception area, which should be warm and inviting. Pediatric dental offices in particular should make an added effort to decorate the space and make it appealing and comforting to young patients. Make sure to keep enough chairs in the waiting room as well as a wide selection of books, toys, games, and puzzles for children to enjoy while they’re waiting.

Consider a Theme

If you really want to make children feel comfortable and possibly even look forward to taking a trip to the dentist, redecorating the office lobby with a theme is the way to go. It helps children perceive the office as a place to play and use their imagination instead of just another ‘boring’ medical procedure or checkup.

“Themes are very popular in pediatric offices because they help put children at ease by providing distractions from the upset of examinations, shots, and other procedures. Children are drawn to living creatures and nature, and this makes natural themes an excellent choice. Children are also drawn to fantasy, magic, and make-believe worlds that capture their imagination,” writes Kimberly Bartosch on LovetoKnow.

Consider Space For Equipment

It’s also important to maintain or improve your dental office’s system or equipment organization. There are countless tools used on a daily basis that should be labeled, sanitized, and put back in a designated location between uses. This goes for tiny hand tools to larger pieces of equipment, such as the type used for the 250,000 pediatric dental sedations performed each year. Specialty gases, which have a market forecast to surpass $14 billion by 2026, should also be stored safely. Fortunately, there’s a relatively simple way to accomplish this task while ensuring your office never runs out of necessary equipment: through inventory management systems.

“Most of the dental supply dealers provide inventory management systems for their customers. Some are tag systems in which products are placed in bins or containers with tags that identify the product, quantity to order, and the reorder point for the product. When a product needs to be reordered, the tag is removed from the container and placed in a location where the dealer representative can access it and order the product. Other dealers provide systems that reference barcodes on the products or their storage containers/bins. When products need to be ordered, the representative uses a bar code reader to upload the product information and then download it into the dealer’s ordering system,” says DentistryIQ.

Ultimately, the interior design industry generates $10 billion in revenues annually. Keeping these tips in mind can help you create a kid-friendly dental office space. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for more insight on helping children look forward to going to the dentist.