5 considerations when buying dental chairs

Are you looking for the perfect dental chair? Whether you’re setting up a new practice or expanding your existing surgery, dental chairs are probably one of the most important pieces of equipment on your buying list.

Choosing the right brand, make and model can be tricky – and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg! There are many things to consider for a dental chair purchase.

For starters, it is made up of many different components and variables – size, weight capacity, height adjustments, backrests, lumbar support, foot pedals and more. In a way, every component deserves to be a point for consideration.

Also, there’s no such thing as “one-size fits all” in dentistry. Something that works for the dentist down the road may not be your cup of tea. You need to know what type of work you will do with this machine: simple or complex? What are the best available dental chair options that fit your particular needs?

Are you going to use it every day and how rigorous are your requirements? What are your demands for patient and operator comfort? Should you opt for a continental dental chair? Do you need a double articulated adjustable head rest or extended footrest? What are your ergonomic concerns? Should you go for fixed or free-standing dental chairs? All these things can make a difference between a good dental unit and a great one. The list goes on.

In terms of research, there are more questions: What is the google review like? What do the leading dental magazines have to say about this brand or model? What are the hallmarks of a comfortable dental chair? What are the enhanced safety products that I should be looking out for?

Choosing dental chairs is almost an art form. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at five key factors and how they can and should affect your buying decision.

Delivery system

The different types of delivery systems include: side, rear, or over-the-head or over-the patient. Each of these designs can directly impact on your workflow productivity as well as your musculoskeletal health.

Unfortunately, dentists who get overly caught up by all the whizbang technology, snazzy upholstery and sleek contours of a chair, will often give a cursory consideration regarding the choice of delivery system.

There are a few questions you may wish to ask when deliberating over which system suits your dental team best. Are the instruments, handpieces and suction within the comfortable reach of the dental assistant? Is the dentist able to retrieve the handpiece or instrument without having to shift his or her gaze from the treatment site? Are the instruments ergonomically arranged on the delivery arm such that the most frequently used items are placed closest to the user, be that person the dentist, assistant or hygienist? Is there an option between an adjustable or fixed height model?

These questions will make your choice of delivery system more intentional. For example, the rear-delivery system, where clinical instruments are located behind the patient, is generally unsuitable for two-handed dentistry. Users have complained about lower back, neck and shoulder pains as the rear-delivery system tends to make operators twist their torsos when reaching for the instrument behind the patient’s back.

Although the side delivery system eradicates this issue for the most part, it tends to lock the dentist in a position when changing burs for fear of obstructing the assistant from reaching the instruments.

Of course, you can also opt for the cart system which functionality can even surpass the fixed units – although you have to choose wisely. Some of the autonomous cart designs come with integrated compressor, suction system and water tanks.

With these standalone mobile dental carts, you can wheel the equipment and instruments by your side as you move around the patient. They can also be stowed in cabinets they’re when not needed. More importantly, you can increase your productivity and streamline your workflow. Although they require little installation and provide a lot of flexibility, they are not able to work without electricity and are generally unsuitable for complex oral surgeries.

There is no perfect system. It all depends on what suits your room size, chair placement and the operator and assistant positions most suitable to your needs. There is no substitute for testing the chair out for your self – bringing your dental assistant may be a good idea – and asking the right questions (some of which are mentioned) of the product specialist.

Size and position

The size of a dental unit is one of those non-negotiable items on your list. It also hinges on many factors, some of which are beyond your control, like room design, position of existing fixtures and available space.

If you’re not planning to overhaul a room just so you can fit the chair of your dreams, that means like most other dentists, you’re still sane! Chances are, you will compromise on the size of the chair based on the dimensions of your room.

Even so, there are other considerations: Do you have enough circulation space for you and your assistant? Is the chair facing the window and harsh afternoon sunlight? Is the operator left- or right-handed?

As a rule of thumb, you should leave enough space around the dental unit for the dentist to work in all 9-10-11 and 12 o’clock positions. The assistant should be able to move freely. While this may vary, the adequate space taken up by a dental chair should be roughly 3m x 2m.

The position of the dental chair is also important. An optimum position should find the dentist a minimum distance of about 70cm from the closest bench. Your nurse should be facing the back of the room where the work surface is located – that is the most optimally ergonomic position that minimises her movement and chances of back pain issues.

Patient comfort

Okay, the chair looks great and comes in the exact colour that matches your drapes, cabinetry and side bench. But the patient recliner and headrest are a bit on the stiff side… is that a problem?

Hate to burst your bubble but if there’s one thing that can make or break your patients’ dental experience, it’s the physical comfort – or lack thereof – that your dental chair unit provides them.

Nothing says “sit back and relax” more effectively than a comfortable chair with great lumbar support, a cradling headrest, adjustable armrests and extended foot rest. Okay, it doesn’t have to be an Osim massage chair but it must at least fulfil some basic criteria.

For example, does your chair adapt itself to the patient’s body and positioning? Does it provide ample cushion for all body types and stability in areas that support the weight – without letting out a creaking sound? Is there enough adjustment of height and tilt so it can accommodate patients of varying heights?

It should also offer a range of speeds from low-medium-high as well as vibration modes. Does it provide adjustable back support in addition to a comfortable cushion and armrests? Are the armrests soft and padded enough to maintain a relaxing posture throughout the procedure?

There’s really only one way to find out: test it!

Dental chair ergonomics

Dental ergonomics is an important part of any dental practice. It can be difficult to see how much of an impact this has on your day-to-day work but if you’re not aware of what needs to change then you’ll never know until you try something different.

Your dental unit interacts with its environment in such a way as to facilitate good working conditions, especially when you consider the amount of time you spend sitting down in the operatory, day in day out. Remember: your long-term health and wellbeing depends on it.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) is becoming a common occupational hazard for dentists and other healthcare professionals. MSDs are caused by repetitive movements that put undue stress on muscles or joints. This may result from poor design of equipment, awkward postures during patient treatment, heavy workloads and lack of training opportunities.

You cannot afford to compromise on chair ergonomics. You have to recognise the physical demands of your job and choose a dental equipment that takes into account some important ergonomic factors.

Does the dental chair move and adapt to meet your needs (and not the other way around)? A good dental chair will accommodate the widest range of operator heights. To work comfortably, the chair should be able to elevate your patient to an optimum height for you to treat them without unnecessarily arching your back and twisting your waist.

Based on scientific research into chair ergonomics, it is found that the therapeutic chair should be easily adjustable according to the individual’s height and angle of back. The angle of the back rest should be larger than 90° and also adjustable. To minimise unnecessary strains in a sitting posture, the backrest should also follow the natural line of the human spine.

It should allow you unbridled access to work on the patient comfortably. For example, are your elbows in a relaxed position by your side while your patient’s slim – and preferably double articulated – head rest is positioned just above your legs for an optimal work position? The dental chair controls should also be within easy reach.

The dental chair design should afford a close proximity to the patient without requiring you to incline forward, so that you can maintain a healthy posture. It should not require any special adjustments or adaptations during surgery and it must provide adequate support and stability for all postures required throughout the day. This includes standing up from a seated position as well as moving around the room.

Pricing

Like most products, it is hard to evaluate the value of a dental chair based on its price. Just because it’s expensive, doesn’t make it high quality. Conversely, I’ve spoken to many dentists who believe that their sub-US$5,000 dental chair equipment perform way above expectations.

Even if the unit’s asking price meets your budget, how do you qualify that it is value for money? After all, just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you need it. On the flip side, you don’t want to make a bad investment just to save some money up front, and incur future expenses in the form of costly repairs, frustrating breakdowns, and expensive clinical down time.

Dental chairs that falls into the “branded, high quality category” typically cost between US$10,000 – US$40,000. Treatment units in the lower half of this price range will normally have “standard” features as opposed to more “luxury” options in the mid to upper range of that spectrum.

However, if you do a quick search on the Internet, you will find basic dental chairs as cheap as US$2,000 to “luxury versions” that cost between US$5000 – US$9000. Do the “standard” and “luxury” labels therefore mean anything? 

Well, yes and no. Again it boils down to what you’re looking for.

For example, a dentist doing mostly orthodontic work will not need a chair with as many features as say a clinician doing a lot of cosmetic or restorative cases. For the most part, a multi-functional chair is more expensive than one with basic functions. In this regard, it pays to understand what the manufacturer categorises as “basic” versus “luxury”.

Taking the price disparity into consideration, however, this can be a bit more tricky. A “basic” chair in the branded category may have the “luxury” features of a chair in the sub-$10k model range. That said, the labels of what constitutes as “basic” or “luxury” vary between every manufacturer, regardless of their pricing range – although the marquee brands tend to have more overlaps in the features department, than with their cheaper counterparts.

You also have to contend with add-ons and accessories that are sold separately from the dental chair itself . For example, if you’re looking at a entry-level treatment unit, it’s likely that there will be an assortment of instruments included, but not necessarily what you need. Every equipment package has been priced according to factors such as inventory stock, seasonal promotions and the like.

Some package deals promise good value for money, only if you stick to the items in the package. By mixing a package with optional add-ons that are not included in the package, you may get less value from the deal. It pays to do some due diligence and research, finding out exactly what you need and don’t need before stepping into a equipment showroom.

If you do not plan well or are not careful, you can spend a small fortune on dental chair accessories alone. Without a firm cost-benefit ratio in mind, you may feel pressured or give into impulse buying triggers.

If you do not plan well or are not careful, you can spend a small fortune on dental chair accessories alone. Without a firm cost-benefit ratio in mind, you may feel pressured or give into impulse buying triggers.

As a good practice, you should always ask whether you can replace the accessories that you do not need in the pre-bundled package. Most equipment sales engineers have a bit of room for negotiation – it’s what they call “extra bullets” for closing the deal, so don’t make it too easy for them to pocket the commission on your sale. They may also suggest a trade-in option as they can resell a refurbished dental chair to other clients.

While on this topic, don’t be afraid to ask for a price match either. This is true if you have a make or model in mind, but prefer to buy with another supplier that has a higher mark-up for whatever reason, ask them to price match your item.

If you’re keen to do all your equipment shopping at one stop, most suppliers would be more than happy to accomodate a discount due to the volume of your sale. You’d be surprised how much you can save from a one-stop shopping. Simply because the supplier can organise the equipment transportation and installations in one go. Another advantage is that the same installation team is doing all the work, which means less hassles, miscommunication and coordination on your part.

Conclusion

Let’s face it, we all love a good bargain. Why should buying dental chairs be any different? When it comes to the price tag on the dental chair, there’s no way to assess whether it is bang for your buck. That said, there are many other considerations as listed above.

The comfort of your patients, your health and that of your dental staff, and space constraints are all significant factors that cannot be left out of the equation.

To secure a good chair (at an affordable price), I would say do your due diligence: Study all the deals and user reviews online; jot down all the necessary items you need; be prepared to ask questions each time you visit a showroom – oh yes, and bring a friend if your dental assistant is not available to test the chairs.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How have dental chairs improved over time?

Dental chairs have significantly improved in terms of comfort and versatility over the past 300 years. Prior to the 1700s, tooth extractions were often performed with the patient sitting on the floor, but in early 1700s Pierre Fauchard, French dental surgeon, set a new trend in comfort by consistently getting patients off the floor and onto a chair for an examination or extraction. Today, dental chairs are adjustable for seat height, tilt, and headrest position, and equipped with various tools and technologies to enhance the dental treatment experience.

What types of dental units are available on the market?

There are many offers from different manufacturers on the market, from inexpensive installations to premium devices. Budget options are offered by Brazilian and Chinese manufacturers, while the middle price segment includes equipment from brands from South Korea and Italy. The premium segment offers Italian, Japanese, and German brands.

How should I determine my budget when choosing a dental unit?

It is generally accepted that there are three segments of patient markets: economy, business, and elite level. Accordingly, you should decide on a budget that aligns with the segment your clinic belongs to.

What factors should I consider when choosing a dental unit?

When choosing a dental unit, it is important to consider the price, complete set, colour, manufacturer, certificate, options, convenience, safety, service, and warranty.

How can I ensure the equipment meets safety standards?

Modern equipment must meet the highest standards of safety in the field of disinfection and protection against cross-infection. Look for systems such as flushing the air-water circuits of the working hoses, a system for disinfecting the hoses of the aspiration system or adding a disinfectant to the tap water. Make sure the equipment has a safety certificate and the presence of authorized service centre in your area.

What should I look for in a dental chair to ensure the comfort of my patients?

Look for a chair that offers good support and cushioning for patients of all sizes, and consider options such as headrests with adjustable positioning and armrests that can be moved for ease of entry and egress. Additionally, ensure that the chair allows for proper ergonomics for yourself and your staff.

What features should I look for in a dental chair to ensure functionality?

Look for chairs with modern technology, such as control panels with easily accessible buttons or a touchscreen, programmable memory settings for seat positions, and joystick-style foot control. Additionally, ensure that the chair is reliable and has a good reputation among other dentists.

How can I ensure that my dental chairs match the aesthetic of my office?

Most dental chairs can be customized with colors, fabrics, and finishes that complement your office’s decor. Consider the shapes, styles, and sizes of the chairs you like before making a decision.

What are some other considerations when purchasing a dental chair?

Consider dental operatory configurations, as many dental chairs come with chair-mounted lights and delivery systems as all-in-one packages. Also consider whether to purchase a new or refurbished chair and choose a reputable equipment seller that offers warranty and servicing options.

Are there any tax implications when purchasing a dental chair?

Yes, as a capital expenditure, your dental chair purchase is deductible. Be sure to consult with a tax professional for specific information on how the purchase may impact your taxes.