Setting up a dental practice requires much more attention to services than most commercial fit outs. Essential services needed in a surgery include power, water, gas and compressed air.
Power requirements in commercial spaces are usually adequate for the needs of a dental surgery, but it can be worth having an electrician assess the incoming power for its suitability when looking at premises, as alterations can be costly.
Most dental equipment draws minimum power - between 10 and 30 amps per piece of equipment. However, some items can require three phase power (e.g. some thermal disinfectors); be aware that there can be difficulty in accessing three phase power in some circumstances.
Water is another primary service in a dental surgery. It is not just the supply of water that is critical; it is the pressure, the quality, and waste management that are essential to the smooth running of the surgery.
In some circumstances, to maintain adequate water pressure, incoming water supply lines will need to be upgraded. The need for this can be augmented if fire drenches are required over perimeter windows to ensure compliance with the Building Code of Australia.
Another issue in water supply is filtration. For example, during the cryptosporidium/ Giardia scare in Sydney in 1998, dentists without fine micron filtering suffered a loss of business.
As well as the quality of water entering the surgery, water authorities require backflow protection devices to be installed to protect the quality of the main water supply.
At times of reduced pressure, there is a risk of contaminated water being drawn back into the mains. Backflow protection devices prevent this from occurring.
