First impressions are everything!

Thinking about dental office flooring is probably something you don’t focus on much as a dentist. However, your existing floors may be giving off the wrong impression. The same goes for your dental staff who has to see your flooring every day. Imagine a new patient coming into your dentistry to find old carpet or cracked and dirty vinyl or linoleum floors. Your a doctor and you didn't get to where you are by being lucky; so don't leave your floors to chance. Do your research and design what kind of experience you think is right for your practice. If your the best dentist in town, your flooring should also be the best.

When someone goes to a new dentist they usually expect to find a relaxing and clean environment. In addition to quality and cleanliness of the floors would be the design and styles you choose. If the floors in your dental practice are outdated, scuffed or the colors simply don't match the furniture or the trims throughout; it all plays a role in the patient's opinion of your practice. Don’t get drilled for having stained floors, polish up those old floors or prepare to be spit out like bad mouthwash.

Maybe it's time your floors had a checkup

If your floor looks more than a little worn lately, it’s time to get it back in shape with something new. Or, if you’re starting a new dental practice, you have multiple floor choices ranging from carpet tile to linoleum. Whether used in one room or many, the product you choose is going to become a subtle part of your office’s appearance. Just like remembering to floss, not keeping up with today’s flooring trends can lead to a decay in your repeat business.

If you've never bought floors for a dental lab or dentistry office then we recommend starting with Armstrong Commercial Flooring. Armstrong's is one of the most well known brands in the world and is backed by decades of proven performance. Armstrong resilient vinyl floors might be considered a premium when it comes to price but the longevity of the floors well be worth the investment. Another great brand to consider for carpeting is Kraus Flooring, which manufacturers modern carpet rolls and designer carpet tiles; perfect for a dentist office.

Carpet Tile

Otherwise known as modular carpet tiles, these are square tiles designed for all commercial businesses. They’re known for being extremely durable to heavy foot traffic and being resistant to any type of stain.

Brighter floors, whiter teeth, bigger smiles!

For a professional dental office, commercial grade carpet is a great choice considering you’ll definitely have foot traffic going all the time. Not only will your dental assistants be moving around often, you’ll undoubtedly be going from one patient to the next.

If you tend to at least a dozen patients daily, your floor is obviously going to wear out fast without something durable. Having a strong floor is important because most likely your colors are bright and have more natural lighter earth tones that can if not maintained become very dirty.

Stains are also possible in dental offices, especially if working with molds. Unfortunate accidents can also occur, as in a nervous patient who happens to get sick to their stomach, or an assistant simply spilling their coffee. Thus carpet tiles make for a great option in the lobby, hallway, doctor's offices, receptionist desk and other non laboratory stations. In the labs where things can get messy you'll likely want a linoleum, vinyl sheet or plank surface that can easily be scrubbed and swept clean.

Cleaning Office Carpet Tile

Carpet tiles really can only be vacuumed by standard vacuums such as a robotic rumba floor sweeper, Oreck brushless push vaccum or something a little more powerful like a Bissell or Dyson hard floor cleaner. Usually you'll want to vacuum your offices almost daily but that would get very expensive to have a commercial cleaning company come in every night. Most likely you'll have your secretary or staff member vacuum at the end of the night or before you open in the morning.

Best Carpet Tile Brands

Three top carpet brands to consider are: Kraus Carpet Tile, Shaw, and Mohawk. Kraus is one of the best thanks to their Zipperlock Technology designed with dual bonding, plus interlocking tuft replacement.

What this means is your carpet won’t unravel like it often does with loop pile carpeting. The cost of carpet tile is very inexpensive if you go through the right sources. At Floor City, many of the products from the above brand names run only $1.50 per square foot. Warranties are also applicable for many years.

Sheet Vinyl Flooring

Did you know sheet vinyl flooring is one of the most popular options for commercial businesses? For your dental practice, it’s another smart choice if you need something durable and a floor that’s easy to clean.

It’s also the best option if you want different looks to your floor from what other styles offer. Branding in your dental office is an essential aspect you’re maybe not paying enough attention to. As those in the dental industry say, it’s more than just creating a logo or even content marketing.

Visual aspects to your dental practice are going to set you apart from everyone else. Flooring is almost always taken for granted. Yet, a specific style of flooring will help set a unique style for your business. Brush up on your knowledge of floors with our simple flooring ideas guides. Dental assistants are great at cleaning teeth but rather than rely on your employees to pick flooring for your space; we’ve provided free solutions for all your dental flooring needs.

Sheet vinyl flooring is convenient to install thanks to coming in either pre-cut or full rolls at any length you need. Sheet vinyl is also easy to clean and when water splashes out during a rinse, this surface never warps it has issues with water because of it’s mostly  seamless installation. Commercial sheet vinyls come in 6-12 foot widths allowing you to install in each station without a seam showing accept maybe along the walls where it’s less noticeable.

Some of the best brands of sheet vinyl include Johnsonite, Kraus, and the ever-popular Armstrong. The latter brand sells various sheet vinyl variations with prices ranging from only .79 cents per ft. to $4, depending on the features required.

A number of variations on sheet vinyl are available, including Medintone, Eternal Wood, or homogenous/heterogeneous sheet vinyl. For the latter two, you’ll find a broad spectrum of colors to help your dental office aesthetic in the waiting area or examining room.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

Another great option for your dental practice in the vinyl category is vinyl plank flooring if you’re working on a budget.

Starting a dental practice is competitive when you consider how many dentists exist in America. Recent statistics show almost 200,000 of them here in the states alone, making it tougher to stand out. Before you say open-wide, we hope you’ve provided a clean and calming work-station. If you want patients to open their wallets when you drop a big estimate, just know that your office decor, floors, walls, trim and even furniture might make them bite down for more or run for the doors; if they don't feel comfortable. Rather than deal with the toothache that is having to lay off your staff, make everyone smile by providing the luxury floor covering that your industry demands.

On an aesthetic level, you’ll want to create an environment that’s welcoming to all your patients. Using a floor depicting an old hardwood appearance can bring a more down-to-earth feel and relax your patients in the waiting room.

This is a major strong point with vinyl plank flooring. It convincingly mimics the look of real hardwood without having to use the real thing. Even experts can’t tell the difference.

Armstrong is the top brand for this type of floor. What makes their product stand apart is it’s completely waterproof. Also, with their Diamond 10 Technology, you’ll have a floor that doesn’t experience scratches or scuffing.

For spills and dirt, it’s also completely durable. In a dental office where anything could stain or scuff your floor, you won’t have to worry about the surface wearing out. You’ll be able to use vinyl plank flooring for decades without immediate replacement.

When you need to make a good first impression for new patients, this floor will still look pristine years after myriad foot traffic or spills.

Luxury Vinyl Tile

As an alternative to vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl tile can become another perfect option if you want something lasting for years. Usually written as “LVT”, luxury vinyl tile is a little more diverse in giving you the look of natural materials.

You’ll be able to give the look of real hardwood, ceramic, and even stone. For a more rustic look to your dental office, you’ll find this an affordable and useful option without having to spend big bucks for real materials.

The cost of real hardwood and stone alone will run you in the hundreds of dollars. LVT is going to help you have a floor that looks like the real thing, plus last much longer than anything from the earth. Bridge the gap between you and the competition with luxury floors that not only look like real wood or stone but last twice as long as natural hardwood flooring.

Armstrong is again your best brand to consider for this type of flooring. Their secondary brand names like Alterna will give you the look of ceramic or stone. Using Armstrong’s luxe plank luxury vinyl, you’ll have the hardwood option.

Some other brand names to consider here include Johnsonite, Flexco, and Metroflor. All of these are found at Floor City priced anywhere from $2-$4 per sq. ft.

We think good hygiene starts with eco friendly flooring. Armstrong has reinvented what it means to be green with one of the most environmental friendly footprints on the planet. Nobody said buying floors had to be like pulling teeth, avoid the root canal that is shopping at big box stores and shop online at Floor City.

Call today for a free flooring exam! (800) 898-9540

Keep in mind Armstrong’s Diamond 10 Technology is a major asset to their LVT brand. It uses the brilliant properties of diamonds to add more durability and unparalleled performance. With these real diamond materials, your luxury vinyl tile is one of the best bets for scratch, stain, and scuffing resistance.

It’s an ideal choice for the busiest dental practices like yours.

Wall Base Molding (Trim)

For more technical features on your floor, you’ll want to think about using wall base molding as a form of trimming.

Providing a finishing touch to your floor, your dental practice may have specific engineering requirements requiring you to use a base molding. The two options available are vinyl or rubber wall bases, which are both very easy to install on your own using adhesives.

To make these customized, you can find numerous colors, lengths and thicknesses as just starters.  Shapes and styles are also varied, ranging from a Cove Roll to Straight Strip.

Specific heights are available and go from 2.5 inches up to 6 inches. Colors go from standard black/gray on up to using neutrals and lighter colors like yellow.

Once again, Armstrong is the brand you want for your wall base. They pay attention to the sustainability factor of their products, including being tested and complying with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method V1.1. Those of you with dental practices in CA will appreciate this designation.

Plus, to sustain their low volatile organic compound policy, they also comply with the South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule #1168.

Responsible manufacturing is at the center of Armstrong’s brand. Using socially and environmentally responsible processes, you won’t have to second-guess here if you want your dental practice using green materials.

Brands to consider here go beyond Armstrong. Try Johnsonite, Flexco, Burke, and Roppe.

Linoleum Tile or Sheet Rolls

No doubt you’ve seen linoleum used for years, perhaps in your own home. Linoleum tile is a great choice for your dental office if you need something sustainable, naturally insulating, has light-reflective colors, and easy maintenance.

Armstrong offers linoleum tile and sheet rolls through their LinoArt brand name. Ever since they first placed this product on the market, they’ve promised sustainability while still offering unique style and designs.

Their LinoArt linoleum tile has a rolling load and impact resistance, making it perfect if you have heavy dental equipment lying around. In your storage rooms, for instance, you may have numerous large containers of equipment that could easily topple over on your linoleum floor.

Thanks to a high-performance coating called NATURCote® II, you’ll find another inside brand name from Armstrong that excels at durability. Through this coating, you’ll completely retain the appearance of your linoleum tile. No matter how many scratches, scuffing, or staining your dental office flooring goes through, you won’t have to replace these tiles for years.

The same goes with abrasion and gouge resistance based on a true through-pattern wear layer. Even if your dental office doesn’t typically have overly heavy objects, you might have one heavy item potentially gouging your linoleum. Something as simple as an office desk could become the culprit.

Armstrong’s LinoArt linoleum tile has a woven polyester backing. This is reinforced with a bedding layer to reduce any backing from showing, plus adding dimensional stability.

For sheet rolls, Armstrong also uses their LinoArt brand name. These have the very same features as the linoleum tile above. The one difference is the bedding layer helps reduce jute show-through.

Take some time to check out some of Armstrong’s collections with sheet rolls. Examples include LinoArt Colorette Sheet with bold and invigorating bright colors.

Other products in this collection include LinoArt Granette Sheet, Linorette Sheet, Marmorette Sheet, and Rhythmics Sheet.

Your Warranties

Being a dental office that needs to stay within budgetary guidelines, you obviously don’t want to have to replace your flooring only a year after installation.

Buying your flooring through Armstrong and other quality brands means you won’t have to. All of the flooring options above are going to give you decades of use. Warranties through companies like Armstrong truly have commercial businesses in mind.

When you buy carpet tile, you’ll generally have a 10-year commercial warranty available. It’s typically the same with sheet vinyl flooring, vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl tile, and linoleum.

With Armstrong’s wall base molding, you can get up to a five-year warranty for commercial use.

All warranties are going to help you with repairs or replacements when the time comes where age makes it inevitable. Most other flooring brands still don’t give you products that last nearly as long.

Considering you’re likely in the dental industry for the long haul (and perhaps planning to stay in the same location for many years), you’ll find Armstrong and associated floor brands very reliable.

Where do you buy flooring for a Dentist Office?

If you visit the Armstrong website, you can read up and educate yourself on all flooring options for your dental office.

Your best bet is to go to an Armstrong dealer. Here at Floor City, we’ve grown to become a true leader in providing the best Armstrong floor products, including many other quality brand names.

Visit our site, and you’ll see many pages that explain everything from carpet tile to linoleum options. Our main goal is to educate you so you make the best possible decision to keep your dental office profitable and aesthetically pleasing for years to come.

To order any of the above flooring products, call us at (800) 898-9540. Our phone lines are open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST.

After your order, we’ll tell you where to pick up your floor product. We’re available to discuss maintenance and other options to keep your floor looking pristine.

Whether starting with your dental office’s first floor or finding a replacement, don’t forget your patients will always remember your floor upon first sight.