Dental Tribune UK Edition, October 11-17, 2010, No.25 Vol.4

Well thought designs will leave a lasting impression October 11-17, 201016 Practice Management United Kingdom Edition T he well-known saying that ‘An Englishman’s home is hiscastle’isastruetodayas it has ever been, because over recent years DIY builing and re- furbishing has become one of our favourite British pastimes. However, is DIY always a good idea? Unfortunately most home- owners act under the erroneous belief that ‘doing it themselves’ will undoubtedly save them mon- ey; this is of course absolutely true, if the homeowner has the relevant skills to undertake and complete the job to a satisfactory conclusion. In fact, this is rarely the case, thus costing homeown- ers more in the long run in both time and money, paying over the odds to additional contractors to put things right. Checking credentials Another commonly made mon- ey-saving pitfall for refurbish- ments is the idea of conscripting a couple of local contractors (of- ten friend-of-a-friend) to carry out the project. Granted, this may well save the homeowner money, but certainly not time as they will need to answer numerous ques- tions daily and indeed run the site as a day-to-day project. Even that may not guarantee the desired results. Some homeowners may come across contractors who insist on being paid in cash, and at this point the first alarm bells should start ringing and questions about their building credentials and experience should be asked. There are also many busy professionals who call in the as- sistance of casual contractors whilst rationalising all the while that they are worth the savings on expense. Let us be clear, not all of these contractors are fly- by-nights; on the contrary, many are respectable and highly skilled professionals. Now that dental practices have to comply with a minefield of building regulations such as DDA, HSA & CDM, HTM & CQC, any practitioner considering undertaking a large-scale DIY project at the surgery could well be accused of having a screw or two loose themselves. Any dentist considering refur- bishment, whether to make the practice more functional and aes- thetically pleasing or simply to remain compliant with changing industry guidelines should not al- low themselves to be tempted by cost-cutting measures. Compared with residential homes, practices are significantly more complex, not least because of all the valu- able dental equipment and the need for ergonomic design. The chances of things going wrong with complicated construction or wiring, and cabling being run be- tween rooms to link up high-tech equipment is far too high to risk doing without the help of a pro- fessional Design and Build com- pany. There will always be a variety Home sweet homeFor the positive long-term future of your practice, getting the design right is cru- cial to make patients feel comfortable and keep staff motivated, says Chris Davis ContaCt us for your frEE saMPLE* • Bulk-fill in increments of 4mm without layering • Excellent cavity adaptation reducing post-operative sensitivity • Provides excellent self-levelling properties • Already thousands of users** Changing dentistry 4mm at a time the 1st flowable bulk-fill base +44 (0)1932 837303 To join the SDR revolution, contact us now for your FREE SAMPLE* (quoting ‘free SDR sample’ and giving your full name and practice address) UKP00265*Limitedstockavailable.Pleaseallowupto28daysfordeliverybyyourSalesSpecialist.**Usersworldwide