Benco Dental's latest white paper outlines five compelling reasons why smaller operatories make more sense in today's oral healthcare environment—and how to actually implement them.
For years, practice owners and their team members have been challenged by shrinking insurance reimbursements, pressure to work more efficiently, and punishing physical stress. These have only been compounded by the pandemic, which piled on new and greater staffing, scheduling, patient satisfaction and infection control issues.
But rethinking operatory size through smarter design can effectively address all of those issues, while also better positioning practices for improved earnings and a more relaxed working environment.
The new white paper, authored by company leaders from Benco Practice Design, provides actionable steps based around their thought leadership on:
• How practices can increase income by 17%, or $250,000, without increasing their operatory footprints;
• Why six smaller operatories cost about the same as five conventional rooms...but deliver more ROI;
• Where smaller operatories actually reduce physical stress and potential for fatigue or injury;
• When smaller operatories translate directly to better service for new and existing patients;
• Ways conventional operatories stunt practice growth. Also, why the top 10% of practices have realized 18% growth by seeing more patients while the bottom 10% experienced a 12% drop caused by bottlenecks.
Not only does the white paper delve into these problems, it proposes concrete solutions—supported by experts as well as actual sample design plans—that can be implemented in new construction or by retrofitting existing practices. It is available at no charge in Benco U, our online learning center: benco.com/benco-dental-u/white-paper/smaller-is-smarter/
Benco Dental's design thought leadership stems from decades of experience. The company was first among all dental distributors, way back in the 1970s, to provide customers with comprehensive space planning based upon then-best practices. Today, Benco Dental's Practice Design team has built on that legacy, delivering solutions for clients across the country. Their collective expertise is concentrated in actual physical locations doctors can visit in person or virtually: Benco Dental's collaborative design centers in California, Texas and Pennsylvania.
"For new construction, smaller operatories are a no brainer," said Melissa Sprau, the company's Director of Design, who applies her experience in hospital design to dental environments. "Smart design means you won't miss the slight reduction in square footage per operatory, but you'll yield six ops for about the same investment as five...and the added income that goes with it."
Chuck Cohen, Benco Dental Managing Director, has visited practices nationwide where smaller operatories would be the ideal solution for combatting stress and reversing lack of growth. "Doctors are sacrificing millions of dollars in lifetime income by foregoing a relatively small one-time investment in right-sized operatories," he said.
Image Caption: Smaller operatories (top row) are proportioned to accommodate less cabinetry, putting all of the most commonly used necessities within easy reach of doctors and assistants. Therefore, no assistant side is necessary, and significant cost savings are realized through the elimination of redundant storage space.
Learn more about why smaller operatories make more sense in today's oral healthcare environment—and how to implement them. Find sample smaller dental operatory design plans for the dental practice, and the Smaller is Smarter white paper from Benco at no charge at the Benco Dental U online learning center: benco.com/benco-dental-u/white-paper/smaller-is-smarter/
