1). Design
Modern dental chairs have greatly modified traditional dental equipment, so it may be difficult to discern these versions especially if you have been a dentist for a while now. These modifications help elevate the experience for both the patient and the dentist.
The design of the chair is a large contributor to the comfort that you and the patient will feel. It is critical that the design of the chair offers comfort to allow fluidity when you perform dental procedures and to reduce anxieties that the patient might feel.
2). Construction
The construction of the chair can refer to how ergonomically designed it is. A proper dental chair should maneuver at different angles to help provide more flexibility for the dentist. For the patient, quality padding for increased comfort is another construction component to consider.
A dental chair should also adapt to the patient's height, and have smooth transitions with increased adjustability. This will allow you to accomplish a procedure with no complications.
3). Material
If the dental chair has quality material, then it will last for a long time. Ideally, a dental chair should be able to last for a decade or more until it has to be retired or upgraded. Low-cost dental chairs may be ideal for the present, but shelling out a little bit more money will be more economic in the long run. As such, be sure to invest in quality material chairs rather than paying for cheap ones.
4). General Components
Of course, you want to make sure that your new dental chair has all the working components and equipment that you need.
For example, you want to make sure that the backrest of the chair offers proper back support. A backrest that is too wide will be hard for the dentist to position themselves properly.
The headrest is also another dental chair component to consider. You can consider opting for removal headrests which will be especially suitable for when you have children as your patients. Meanwhile, a headrest that can be extended can better accommodate taller patients.
The dental chair’s dimensions are also worth considering as they can help layout the clinic. If the dental chair has extra equipment such as an LCD monitor, X-ray unit, and more, then this will add to the size. Therefore, make sure that this additional equipment and components do not restrict the dentist’s movement.
5). Functionality
The more functional the chair is, the more efficient it will be. For example, a functional dental chair should have components such as control panels, chair positioning, foot pedals, and chair movement to help make dental procedures more efficient.
With a control panel, a dentist will be able to provide better flexibility in adjusting the specific functionalities of the dental chair. Meanwhile, chair positioning is another core functionality component that helps get the chair on the perfect angle for better results in certain dental procedures.
Foot pedals are another functional staple in dental chairs since they help prevent cross-contamination issues while also resetting the dental chair back to its default position. Lastly, chair movement should not be jerky; rather, it should be smooth to avoid causing any unintended discomfort to the patient.
6). Accessories
Accessories might be additional expenses, but they can help improve the quality of dental procedures. One such accessory is the operating light, which can come with different types of lighting depending on what you are looking for.
An assistant arm is also another considerable accessory that consists of two suction points, one for a low vacuum suction and one for high vacuum suction. X-ray viewers are also a popular dental chair accessory that can help assist dental procedures that need to reference an X-ray film moving forward.
7). Dental Chair Cost
It is important to note that dental chairs are an investment, excluding the actual accessories. Therefore, it is important to weigh up your options, do some research, and allocate a budget that will be both realistic in the present and economic in the future.
Summary
Dental technology has really reached various milestones in recent years. Because of this, choosing the right dental chair means considering various factors such as design, functionality, and cost before coming to a final decision. That's where an experienced and well stocked supplier of medical equipment is most helpful.