Cost Of Setting Up A Dental Clinic In India

India can be a tough place for a young dentist to start work. Not only is dental treatment still looked upon as ‘optional’ by most people, there are very few organized large dental chains that offer jobs to young graduates.

The options in front of a dentist that has just passed out, then, are limited to working with an experienced dentist for an often measly salary or to take the plunge and start their own practice. The cost of setting up a dental clinic in India can vary greatly according to the location, the kind of equipment being installed and the interior decoration. In fact, like any other project, there is no limit to the amount of money that can be spent on setting up a dental clinic.

Here is what dentists can expect to pay if they are looking to set up a reasonably comfortable, well-equipped clinic where they can practice in an efficient manner.

Cost Of Setting Up A Dental Clinic In India

Property

The first thing that dentists need to find is property to set up their clinic. If they are lucky or privileged enough, they would have inherited some property from their parents that can be used for this purpose or can buy it outright before they start. Having your own property is advantageous because there is no monthly rent to consider and no worries about having to shift because the landlord refuses to extend the terms of tenancy.

However, if you are like the majority of people that do not have a property just lying around for use, then look to rent in a commercial complex. The advantage of this is that a commercial complex will have more visibility and allow patients to find you easily.

Once you have established your practice, you can then look to buy that property or another similar one in a close by area. This can be more difficult if you are in a residential space.  

Try and find a space that fits your budget but do not go for the cheapest place if the location is not too good.

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Equipment

The most expensive things that will go into the setting up of the dental clinic will be the dental chair, the X-ray and the digital IOPA sensor. Different kinds of chairs are available in India. The more expensive ones are foreign, but they may not always be the best choice.

Buy an automatic chair that is made by a reputable company like Confident or Gnatus because they are supported by excellent after-sales services. If there is another company that offers better service in your area then you can go for that as well.

Talk to a few practitioners in the area and see what they are using before making your decision. Expect to pay around 1-4 Lakh rupees for a good chair depending upon the brand and included accessories.

What Dentists Need To Know Before Starting Their Dental Clinic In India

The X-ray is also something that you should buy from a standard company. Satellac is one of the companies that make excellent X-rays which will cost you about 50-90 thousand rupees. These X-rays come with proper lead shielding that helps prevent any X-ray leakage, something that may not always be the case with local X-ray companies.

The digital IOPA sensor is now sold by a large variety of companies and costs around 1.5-2.5 lakh rupees with the majority of companies. Kodak and VaTech are two that have been around in the Indian market for a long time and have a good after-sales team behind them.

Try and buy the three things from the same dental supplier if possible because this will fetch you the biggest discount on them all. Bargaining for a 10-20% price drop along with some other freebies thrown in is advisable.

Your clinic will also need to be equipped with a sterilizer. If you are planning to perform dental surgery, place implants or other invasive procedures then look to invest in a class B autoclave. This will be a great addition to your practice and set you back by another 2-4 lakhs depending upon the brand of the sterilizer.

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Extraction forceps, mouth mirrors, probes, drills, burs, explorers, periodontal instruments and impression trays will form the bulk of the re-usable material that you need to buy and should collectively cost you around 1-2 lakh rupees.

You will also need to equip your clinic with dental materials for filling, medicaments for root canal procedures, files and other perishable equipment that will need to be replaced periodically. The initial investment for all the material that you should have in your clinic to start out will be around 40-60 thousand rupees.

Interiors

The interiors of a dental clinic should project a soothing and calm atmosphere that helps the patient relax. While there is no guarantee that a posh dental clinic will attract more patients, it is just human nature to be more impressed by a well-furnished setup.

Opt for durable, comfortable furniture in the waiting area that does not cost you a bomb. Install a TV that will help the patients pass the time when they are waiting and make sure to install air-conditioning to keep them comfortable.

Hanging framed prints of paintings or art is not expensive and can really help light up the surroundings. The color scheme of the interiors and the furniture should be classy; muted without being bland.

An interesting concept that is becoming more and more common nowadays is to have an eye-catching wallpaper on the ceiling right on top of the chair. This is the place where the patients will be resting their eyes and thus something to keep them distracted will be helpful.

Having speakers installed to keep some light music playing may also be a good idea depending upon the personal preference of the doctor.

Conclusion

Setting up a dental practice is just like setting up any other small business. You need to strike a balance between keeping your costs down and distinguishing your practice from others. India can be a tough place for a young practitioner but the rewards from a well-established dental practice are significant enough to warrant the risk.