The dental chair is the centerpiece of your treatment room. It provides comfort for your patients and enables you to perform procedures with ease. Dental chairs can vary in size, style and features — so finding the right one for your practice is important. Henry Schein’s expert team can help you select a chair that fits your ergonomic, space and treatment needs.
Ergonomic Considerations
In the 17th century, Pierre Fauchard recommended that patients be placed in a prone position to reduce anxiety and make it easier to access the mouth. Previously, dentists were forced to maneuver their patients on the floor while bending over them. This position is fatiguing for the operator and can lead to musculoskeletal issues that have long-term health consequences.
Today, patient chair designs help alleviate this problem by offering comfortable positioning that facilitates a healthy working posture for the dentist. A good patient chair will have a wide range of adjustments to provide comfort for the patient and allow the operator to work in a variety of positions without discomfort.
A reputable chair manufacturer will also include a clear, concise manual that includes day-to-day and longer-term maintenance instructions. They will also discuss how to configure and mount equipment onto the chair, so that it is easy for hygienists and assistants to reach.
A chair with a simple-to-use control panel is another feature to look for. The controls should be intuitively arranged, with symbols and dedicated keys assigned to the functions you use most often. This allows you to navigate at a glance and avoid unnecessary keystrokes during the procedure.