Most commercial businesses and buildings enlist the expertise of professional plumbers when something goes awry or when they need a full plumbing solution, but it’s even more critical for dentists to do their plumbing the right way.
Watermaster is involved in the planning, strategy, and development of plumbing solutions for dental surgeries – an industry where plumbing is perhaps the single most important facet during construction.
Dental office plumbing is some of the most unique and complex plumbing, requiring detailed strategies and solutions as they use water in so many different ways every single day!
We’ve listed some of the major plumbing challenges dentists face when creating their practice.
Dental office plumbing must…
Abide council laws and building codes
Plumbing itself comes with a number of regulations and codes, and commercial plumbing is no different.
You must, therefore, ensure you’re choosing professional commercial plumbers in Melbourne to undertake the complicated nature of dental plumbing. Our expertise lies in keeping on top of current regulations to ensure you’re meeting council and building codes.
Contain hygienic and self-contained water supplies
Water has a number of functions in a dental surgery, and if a building’s water supply proves to be unreliable or of poorer quality, water used for patients should be from a self-contained water system.
This is another cog that further complicates dental surgery plumbing, but it is imperative.
Have the right pipe installation and drainage
Possibly one of (if not the most) important part of effective and safe dental plumbing is drainage. Depending on the layout and foundations of your building, drainage can become a complex endeavour.
- Does your practice have a basement? (A rarer situation, but basement plumbing can be less invasive and therefore more cost-effective)
- Are you on a higher level with other offices below you? (We’ll need to consider them before we go laying pipes down!)
- Do you have concrete floors?
No matter the set-up, Watermaster can handle the job! We’ve had a ton of experience bringing dental surgery visions to life through careful planning, specific to each different surgery.
Consider multiple basins
Each chair requires its own individual water supply, and each basin needs to be connected to the surgery’s water supply. Each room, too, will need its own basin for hygienists and dentists to wash their hands. Depending on the size of your practice that could mean 5, 10, or even 20 basins! That means more supply lines and outlets.
Create comfortable staff facilities
As dentists become more ‘boutique’, shifting away from that clinical feel (without compromising on safety or hygiene), and focusing on state-of-the-art facilities providing comfort to patients, some practices are also expanding the facilities they offer to their staff. What was once a small tea room is now a functional kitchen (or kitchenette), as well as private restrooms and even showers.
There’s no compromise when it comes to dental surgery design and plumbing
Next time you’re aimlessly flipping through magazines in the dentist’s office, look around and think about all the ways water is supplied, and all the ways people (from patients to staff) use water here. It soon becomes obvious how important meticulous and strategic dental surgery planning and execution really is!
Dental surgery design and plumbing is a major part your construction process. It’s likely to take up a significant portion of your budget which is exactly the reason why it’s not worth skimping on quality and professionalism!
If it’s not done right, the risks could be as severe as shutting down your practice, or, at the very least, wasted time and money fixing your initial errors.
Want to learn more about dental office plumbing or book a visit? Call now: 1300 156 650, or fill in this form and we’ll call you back!