Peripheral considerations Nearby the operatory area should be the sterilization area. Like the sundry supply locations, it is important to have the sterile instrument kits readily accessible from the treatment area. The sterilization area needs to be sized adequately to handle the maximum patient load expected for the office. Be sure to consider the future when allocating the size of the room when planning the building. If undersized in the beginning, it could become a bottleneck in the future once the practice has established the expected patient load. Maintain easy access to the room and a pass-through cupboard to store sterile instrument trays for direct access from the treatment area. Having a pass-through will save many steps and time by the staff during the day. As an aside, we have seen more orthodontists partnering with either a pediatric dentist and/or oral surgeons in a facility. This helps each of the specialists to share some of the office's operating expenses, thus reducing the overall cost to run each part of the practice. However, having a multidiscipline practice under one roof can present challenges in office layout and equipment selections. If this is being considered it is best that the initial design of the facility is created with that goal in mind. Again, proper initial design will help prevent issues in the future. Opening a new office or satellite is an exciting and daunting opportunity. It represents the culmination of the many years of education, training and preparation the doctor has made in his or her career. A good team of advisers and vendors can help make building an office less challenging through proper planning, designing and equipping. This way the doctors can be assured their investment will reward them for many years into the future. ■ orthotown.com \\ DECEMBER 2017 31http://www.orthotown.com