Janesville, Wisc., is the home of the 2005 Dental Office Design Competition group practice winner, sponsored by Matsco and Dental Economics®.
When things come full circle for Drs. Thomas and John Haye of Haye Dental Group in Janesville, Wisc., they feel that everyone - patients and staff alike - wins.
Using an oval design as the basis for their practice, Haye Dental Group’s esthetics and masterful layout helped the 5,500-square-foot practice earn top honors in the group practice category during the Dental Office Design Competition, sponsored by Matsco and Dental Economics®.
“The oval design has allowed us to seat patients on opposite sides of the practice and keeps patients from feeling like they are being lined up one right after the other in a holding pattern waiting for their turn,” said Dr. John Haye, who joined his father’s practice in 1988. “We can start a procedure with one patient, then go across the oval and see the next patient with ease. It also gives each patient a sense of privacy.”
In the center of the oval sits the laboratory and the case-viewing room. This allows the staff to have space to work while staying near the patients.
“The case-viewing room is very important in our practice,” said Dr. John Haye. “With it in the center of the oval design, we can look at X-rays, review charts, get online, and do so many other things without having to go back and forth to a private office. It’s a huge room for us and our flow design.”
With 11 operatories and 17 full-time people working in the practice, it was important to Dr. John Haye that all of the operatories be simple, clean, and organized. Ambidextrous doctor/assistant 12 o’clock workstations helped accomplish this goal.
Each operatory has dual access and a full wall of windows, allowing natural sunlight to flood the area. The hygiene operatories (home to five full-time and two part-time hygienists) are located together on the south side of the building where Dr. John Haye said the view and the sun, “create a spa-like concept.” The convergence of all hygiene operatories in one area also allows the hygienists to work as a team when needed.
“We try to check our hygiene patients at the same time, and having the hygiene area set up like this allows us to go right down the line, saving us time,” said Dr. John Haye.
While the oval design and similar operatories help make the practice extremely functional, Dr. John Haye says it is the esthetics of the practice that brings Haye Dental Group to an award-winning level.
“The esthetics is what gracefully ties the function, technology, equipment, ergonomics, patient flow, and basic philosophy of the practice together,” said Dr. John Haye.
Some of the esthetic features of the office include:
➤ A large, open reception area, accented by warm red and neutral-colored plants and flowers.
➤ Soft colors in abundance, while rich cherry and teak woods border the oversized doorway.
➤ A tray ceiling that lets light flow freely, without exposing patients to the harsh glare of bulbs.
➤ A child’s play area that is hidden behind large glass blocks, giving kids a place of their own.
➤ Artwork that enhances the walls, and sconces that help enhance the hallways.
➤ A painting of a seaside or European village in every operatory.
➤Full-view windows throughout the office that allow the patient to look outside.
➤ The exterior of the office, which is highlighted by low-maintenance landscaping, stone features, and angles similar to a Frank Lloyd Wright structure emerging from the prairie.
“We wanted to have an office that looked professional, but people wouldn’t have to worry about costs,” said Dr. John Haye. “We’re very happy with the office and what it has done for our practice.”
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