Dental Practice Lighting Design Across The UK
Human-centric Lighting Design
The Importance of Lighting for a Dental Practice
The correct lighting design is imperative with healthcare spaces, especially dental practices. Lighting in a dental practice includes various kinds of sources of light, each with different purposes and characteristics. Light has two functions in a surgery, ambient lighting and task lighting. Task lighting needs to considering more so in a dental space as task lighting should be powerful enough to ensure work precision is possible whilst taking into consideration patient well-being via a human centric lighting design
Mixing Ambient Lighting with Task Lighting
As a general rule of thumb, the ratio should be 1:5 when organizing ambient and task lighting with regards to their strength. Around the patient’s mouth, for example, the lighting should have an intensity of approximately 20,000 Lux, so it follows that the surrounding area should have a lesser, ambient light intensity of 4,000 Lux.
Clean, Uniform and Shadow Free Lighting
Lighting within a dental practice should be clean and uniform, free from shadows. All lighting fixtures used should mimic daylight as closely as possible, so window lighting is generally a formality and certainly not essential. By using the correct colour temperature of around 5000K – 6500K and high quality LED technology to provide a CRI score of 90 or above.
For those asking what is CRI? The Colour Rendering Index (CRI) is a scale from 0 – 100 percent specifying how accurate a light source is at rendering the colour of an object from the perspective of the human eye, so in simple terms the higher the score the closer the light source is to natural light.
Patient Experience
By considering the correct lighting temperature and colour rendering not only will the space be optimally lit but will also benefit the patients experience. Lighting should always first and foremost be human centric. Ambient lighting is used to establish a comfortable environment in a way that helps the patients feel confident and calm and helps to reduce their nervousness. Under cabinet downlighting can produce a very pleasing and modern ambience, while wall lights can help to make the space feel more airy and open. Lighting in reception and the waiting area also needs to reflect the human-centric nature of the design. Receptions and waiting areas will need to be warm and inviting, as well as relaxing. Using a colour temperature of around 2000K to 3000K will provide the space with a more homely and laid back feel.
Lighting & Wellbeing
A fantastic project we worked on was the prestigious building known as the KLNIK in Wilmslow, Cheshire. The KLNIK is a luxury aesthetics and well-being centre which is now claimed to be the aesthetics most prestigious clinic outside of London, with a £3.4 million investment. Though not a dental practice, lighting principles for patient and staff well-being that would be required for a dental practice were also required on this project.
The overall aim was to create a sense of serenity in order to make clients feel completely relaxed and comfortable as soon as they stepped into the environment in order to relieve any anxieties before clinical procedures are carried out. The staff were also taken into consideration to ensure we created the best possible lighting experience for all concerned.
Our lighting designers focused meticulously upon the client’s “journey” as soon as they entered the clinic and assessed the different emotions they would be feeling as they move from the reception, to the relaxation area, to the consultation room, procedure area and then into the secondary relaxation suite. The Occhio Mito products suspended and surface mounted were used in the reception areas and were perfect for this environment based on the visual aesthetics of the product and the LED technology created a perfectly diffused lighting effect without any glare, with the ability to colour tune from say 2700K to 4000K. The colour of the finish, rose gold, works in harmony with the overall interior design of the project and created the high-end boutique feel, and the warmth we intended to create in the environment.
What kind of projects we get involved in.
With our really flexible approach, we work on a wide range of projects from small one-room residential designs to multi million pound home designs. Other projects include large commercial developments to small religious buildings, restaurants and hotels.
What makes us different?
Technical Knowledge and Expertise
Our technical knowledge and expertise is crucial to the success of our projects. With loading schedules, product specifications, wiring runs and all required technical information. We also offer bespoke training packages for architects, interior designers, specifiers electricians and many others in the industry allowing us to be at the forefront of lighting. We work with partners for example lighting control and home automation companies allowing you the options to implement digital signage and control within your spaces. We have a fully interactive demonstrative showroom allowing you to fully understand our products and what we do as a company.
We work both nationally and internationally. Contact us and start your project
