What Is a Dentist Office?
A Dentist’s office is a professional establishment owned and operated by a dental practitioner. It can have several components and handle a variety of clerical and financial concerns. Smaller offices generally have one practitioner, while larger clinics have many practitioners as well as assistants and hygienists who work on the patients.
Dental professionals are responsible for the diagnosis of dental disease and treatment planning for their patients. They have completed four years of college, passed two exams, and are licensed as a Doctor of Dental Surgery or a Doctor of Dental Medicine in the state they practice. Some dentists have management training and may manage their own dental offices.
Dentist Office: How to Choose the Best One for Your Family
The dental reception area reflects the overall professionalism of the office. It should welcome patients, make them feel at home, and provide a variety of entertainment options to keep them busy during the wait time (Fig. 32-1). The goal is to create an atmosphere that helps the patient relax and trust their dentist, as well as make it easy for them to schedule future appointments.
A small room within the office is dedicated to the dental laboratory, which has various tools and equipment used in the dental procedures performed by the dentist (Fig. 32-3). The most common clinical equipment found in the dental lab is a dental chair, lights, handheld tools and devices, oral irrigators, suction machines, and laser systems.
Because emergencies can occur at any time, it’s important to know whether or not a dentist’s office has an emergency appointment service available. You’ll also want to be sure that they can handle your payment concerns in a way that fits your budget.