A dental office is a place where dentists practice their profession. It is also a center for many primary health care activities. These activities include blood pressure screenings, smoking cessation counseling, and obesity intervention strategies. Some of these services are provided in conjunction with physicians in hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Others are delivered by dentists and their staff in private dental practices.
The dental office is typically divided into several areas. The reception area serves to keep patients comfortable while waiting for their appointments. It may contain seating, entertainment (like televisions), and reading materials. In big practices, the reception area may have a separate room for handling insurance paperwork and other nonclinical work. The administrative area consists of a desk and secure areas for records, a phone system, computers, and a printer. The dental treatment area, or clinic, is where dental procedures are performed on patients. It is equipped with dental chairs, dental tools, lighting, hand tools and devices, oral irrigators, suction machines, and other medical-grade equipment.
Dental offices are staffed by dentists, dental hygienists, and support personnel. They are usually open weekdays, but some offer weekend and evening hours. The cost of employee wages is a large expense for most dental practices, accounting for 25 percent or more of the average practice’s annual revenue. These salaries are influenced by geographic location, level of experience, and type of service offered. Dental professionals often seek out higher education and training to advance their careers. Dentist office