Bendigo Children’s Dentistry

Dr. Amanda Leske, a passionate paediatric dentist, envisioned creating a dental clinic specifically designed for children that would alleviate their fears and anxieties about dental visits. To turn her dream into reality, Dr. Leske embarked on a journey with Elite to renovate a residential property into a warm, inviting, and child-friendly dental haven. This case study delves into the challenges, design considerations, and successful outcomes of this unique transformation.

Challenges

Town Planning: Converting a residence into a dental clinic required adherence to local town planning laws, building codes, and health and radiation regulations.

Space Constraints: While the residential property boasted large bedrooms to help position the dental treatment rooms, there were space challenges that needed creative solutions to accommodate dental specific rooms such as sterilisation room, lab and OPG room.

Design Balance: Balancing a professional dental environment with a child-friendly aesthetic was a critical challenge, requiring thoughtful design thinking

Patient Experience: Ensuring a positive and stress-free experience for young patients was a priority, including design elements to engage and comfort children.

Design Considerations

Welcoming Entrance: The clinic’s first impression was designed to be inviting and fun. An oceanic theme to captured using tones of blues colours, curved bulkheads, nautical looking joinery, and playful signage encourage the children to explore upon arrival.

Playful Waiting: A designated waiting area with a built-in cubby to the bench seating, bookshelf and iPad stations, and sensory tube were incorporated to distract and entertain children while they waited for their appointments.

Treatment Rooms: Each surgery treatment room was colour themed to appeal to children, featuring colourful dental equipment, in-ceiling screen displays and parent seating. with this space like equipment essential to their care.

Dental Equipment: The clinic invested in selecting equipment finishes that tied in with the room themes. The OPG room was designed in a space theme to make the equipment less intimidating and a more engaging experience for the young patients.

Implementation

Zoning and Compliance: The project team worked closely with local authorities to ensure compliance with zoning laws and health regulations, obtaining the necessary permits for the conversion.

Architectural Modifications: The residential layout underwent strategic modifications to accommodate dental infrastructure, waiting areas, dental equipment while strategically space planning within the existing building footprint.

Interior Design: Elite designers crafted a child-friendly interior, incorporating oceanic decor, feature lighting, and interactive elements to create a comfortable and appealing atmosphere.

Equipment Installation: Specialised dental equipment was installed in themed rooms ensuring a fun and positive dental experience for the patients.

Results

The renovation of this residential property into a children’s dentist showcased the successful union of regulatory compliance, creative design, and specialized equipment to create a unique and engaging dental experience for Dr. Leske’s young patients. The Bendigo Children’s Dentistry case study serves as an inspiration for other dental professionals seeking innovative ways to cater to the specific needs of their patients in a residential building.

Client testimonial

“Good oral health bestows a lot of benefits for children’s general health, wellbeing and confidence. But many children get very anxious about visiting the dentist. I wanted my practice to feel welcoming and safe for children and particularly for those with special needs and neurodivergence.

Elite has done a great job in creating a welcoming entrance with an oceanic theme, using various calming blue shades, curved bulkheads, nautical joinery, and playful signage. Elite brought my ideas to life by building a sensory cubby into some of the bench seating and made space for a bookshelf, iPads, and a sensory bubble tube to calm children’s nerves in the waiting area. The treatment rooms are colourful, incorporating in-ceiling screen displays and parent seating to comfort children.  

Elite has created a fun, inviting, and child-friendly dental haven, and I have received lots of positive feedback from my patients and their families. If you need to transform your space to meet your patient’s diverse needs, then I recommend you reach out to the Elite team.” Dr. Amanda Leske, Owner