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Experiment 3: Illumination Design of Dental Clinic

Christian Carlo V. Balderama, Jancis Renee V. Bobier, Jozua Anthony J. Gemino, Jose Lorenzo Z. Ladisla, Christian L. Ranada,

University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines

Figure 1 shows the created floor plan of a Dental

I. INTRODUCTION Clinic. The areas considered from the floor plan were: Staff’s
Lighting is a vital aspect in terms of the aesthetic Lounge, Doctor’s Office, Reception, Business Office, Supply
appeal of a space as it creates the mood and ambiance for a Room, Comfort Rooms, X-ray Suite, Laboratory, Treatment
comfortable environment. Lighting also plays an important role Rooms, Sterilization room.
in workspaces as it increases the productivity, mood and B. Lighting Standard
alertness of the workers. Illumination design is the process of Table 1 shows the required illumination levels of the
delivering light to spaces which takes into consideration the areas considered in the created floor plan of a Dental Clinic.
kind of human activity for which the lighting is provided, The reference used was The Manual of Practice on Efficient
amount, color, distribution of the light required (Dilouie, 2016). Lighting from the Department of Energy.
In illumination design, there are different applications available
and of this is DIALux which is a free software for planning, Table 1. Recommended Illumination Levels
calculating, and visualizing lighting for outdoor and indoor Area Illumination (lux)
spaces. Staff Lounge 300
Doctor’s Office 300
The objectives of this experiment are to apply Reception 300
knowledge with the use of DIALux software and to recommend Business Office 500
an illumination design for a dental clinic Supply Room 150
Comfort Rooms 320
A. Lighting System in Dental Clinic X-ray Suite 110
In the practice of dentistry, one of the most important Laboratory 540
factors considered is the type of lighting system installed in the Treatment Room (general) 750
dental space. Lighting levels have effects such as when it is low, Treatment Bench 1100
the dentist might need to exert more energy and experience Instrument Area 1600
more fatigue and it can also lead to eye damage. Patients are Sterilization Room 540
also adversely affected by deficiencies in lighting. The quality (Department of Energy, Philippines, 2007)
as well as the quantity of the light must be enough. The quality
of light refers to the characteristic of lighting that contribute to III. RESULTS
human comfort. (Price & Shaw, 1979)
A. Staff Lounge
II. METHODOLOGY For the staff lounge, the recommended lux level is 300
lux. The staff lounge is where the employees may leave their
A. Floor Plan belongings during their duty and also eat their food and spend
time together during breaks. The staffs can also prepare their
food since there is a small kitchen in the room. It is also a place
where the staffs could stay before and after duty hours.

Figure 1. Staff Lounge 3D Rendering

Figure 1. Dental Clinic Floor Plan
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Figure 4. Staff Lounge Value Grid for No Daylight and Lights

On

Figure 2. Staff Lounge Value Grid for Clear Sky and Pin
Lights On

Figure 5. Staff Lounge False Color for No Daylight and Lights

On

Figure 4 and figure 5 shows the value grid and false

color results for the staff lounge when there is no daylight and
Figure 3. Staff Lounge False Color for Clear Sky and Pin all the lights are on. It shows that the staff lounge meet the 300
Lights On lux standard.

One of the design consideration is the use of pin lights. Since the staff lounge is a room with a lot of functions,
Figure 2 and figure 3 shows the value grid and false color results the design utilized lights with a CCT of 3000K which is not that
for the staff lounge when there is clear sky and with just the pin hard on the eyes without sacrificing the technical functions of
lights on. Since there is a small kitchen area at the staff lounge, the room.
pin lights are installed so that during the day the staffs could
just open the pin lights and there will enough illumination for
the room.
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B. Doctor’s Office
The doctor’s office is where patient consultations with
the doctor take place. General office tasks are done in the place
such as typing, reading, and writing. Since there is no
meticulous tasks done in the area, a lux level of 300 lux is
enough for the room.
Figure 6. Doctor’s Office 3D Rendering
Figure 7. Doctor’s Office Value Grid
Figure 8. Doctor’s Office False Color
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Figure 7 and figure 8 shows the value grid and false
color results for the Doctor’s Office. The scenario is no daylight
with the lights on, the results show that it has met the 300 lux
standard. Windows are installed to provide natural which
naturally calms down the patients that comes in for
consultation.
C. Reception and waiting room
The first impression you give your patients is the
reception and waiting room, and tells them how much you care
about them. It is where the customers are sitting and waiting;
where they spend much of their time. The goal is to make it
calm and inviting. The goal is to make it soothing and inviting.
The room they are waiting in before their consultation will
definitely affect their experience and turn patients into loyal
customers that you want them to remember well. For the design
of the reception room, the required illumination level was 300
lux.
Figure 9. Reception Room Luminaire Layout
The figure above shows the luminaire layout of the
reception room. The design includes five DN140B PSU D216
1 xLED20S/830 C from Philips to make it in standard. The
luminaire is an 830 neutral white which means its color
rendering index is >80% and a color temperature of 3000 K
LED lighting was also chosen since this type of lighting are
calming to the patients and inviting.
Figure 10. Reception Room 3D Rendering
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Figure 11. Reception Room False Color Rendering
The figure above shows the false color of reception
room. Temperatures over 5000K are bluish, cool colours and
lower temperatures (2700 – 3000K) are called yellowish warm
colours. Receptions and waiting areas must be warm and
inviting, and relaxing. Thus, temperatures of lower colors
should be considered.
Figure 12. Reception Room Illumination Isolines
Figure 13. Reception Room Illumination Value Chart
D. Business Office
The illumination level required for the reception room
design was 500 lux. Business office includes insurance billing,
4
collections, accounting and bookkeeping, purchasing, accounts
receivable, storing compliance records and policies, and
recording employees.
Figure 14. Business Office Luminaire Layout
The figure above shows the business office luminaire
layout. The design comes with 7 Philips 19W-DN140B PSU
D216 1 xLED20S/830 C. The luminaire is an 830 neutral white
which means its color rendering index is >80% and a color
temperature of 3000 K. This type of lighting is chosen to
produce high luminaire since the required luminaire is 500-750
lux and the study shows that above 500 lux in the office show
more production and more happier.
Figure 15. Business Office 3D Rendering
Figure 16. Business Office False Color Rendering
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Incandescent light and warm, fluorescent light make

the eyes too tired. The regular or standard fluorescent light for
a dental office is too "industrial."

Figure 17. Business Office Illumination Isolines

Figure 20. Supply Room 3D Render

In order to reach the required illumination level for

the supply room, two recessed 35.5W-Philips DN570B PSED-
E were used for the supply room. It was the luminaire that was
chosen due to the high light spread of 80o and it is not much
space demanding as opposed to other luminaires. It also has an
840 neutral white light source color.

Figure 18. Business Office Illumination Value Chart

Figure 21. Supply Room False Color Render
E. Supply Room
For the false color render, majority of the supply
For the design of the supply room, the required
room was dark as the angle of the light mostly strikes the top
illumination was 150 lux, as per the standards of
rack of the cabinet, and the displayed false color render is
Department of Energy (DOE). The supply room had
based on the ground measurement.
two cabinets that are placed for the purposes of
storage of general clinic equipment such as face
masks, rubber gloves, sanitary alcohol, cleaning
materials and such.

Figure 22. Supply Room Isolines

Figure 19. Supply Room Luminaire Layout

Figure 23. Supply Room Value Chart

The illumination design in the supply room had an
average illumination level of 301 lux, which was twice the
standard illumination level of 150 lux.
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F. Comfort Rooms
For the design of the comfort rooms, the required
illumination level was 320 lux. The fixtures inside the comfort
rooms (for both accessible and staff accessible toilets) were
only a sink and a single toilet as placing more toilets would have
a divider which could lessen the lux output due to shadowing
provided by the divider.

Figure 26. Staff Accessible Comfort Room 3D Render

Figure 24. Staff Accessible Comfort Room Luminaire Layout

Figure 27. Accessible Comfort Room 3D Render

In both the accessible and staff accessible comfort

rooms, the standard values were achieved with the accessible
comfort room having an average value of 334 lux while the staff
accessible comfort room having an average value of 360 lux.
Figure 25. Accessible Comfort Room Luminaire Layout

In order to reach the required illumination level for the figures

shown above, one recessed 35.5W-Philips DN570B PSED-E
was used for both the accessible and staff accessible comfort
rooms. The luminaire has an 840 neutral white light source
color and has a light spread of 80oC
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Figure 28. Staff Accessible Comfort Room False Color Render

Figure 30. Staff Accessible Comfort Room Isolines

Figure 29. Accessible Comfort Room False Color Render

Figure 31. Accessible Comfort Room Isolines

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G. X-ray Suite
For the general X-ray suite, the required illumination
level was 110 lux. The design of the X-ray suite did not include
windows since the x-ray suites only require low amount of
lighting and natural light may affect the result of the x-ray. The
design also did not include operator booth since it is only a
panoramic x-ray.

Figure 32. Staff Accessible Comfort Room Value Chart

Figure 34. X-ray Suite Luminaire Layout

The figure above shows the luminaire layout of the X-

ray suite. The design includes two 13W-LED DN145B CFL
from Philips. The luminaire is an 840 neutral white which
means its color rendering index is >80% and a color
temperature of 4000 K. LED lighting was also chosen since this
type of lighting are energy efficient, cost-saving, more and
environmental-friendly.

Figure 33. Accessible Comfort Room Value Chart

Figure 35. X-ray Suite 3D Rendering
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H. Laboratory
According to the Manual of Practice of Efficient
Lighting, General Laboratories require an illumination of 540
lux. The design of the laboratory did not include windows for
natural lighting to secure the equipment from the effect of
external environment. Also, having non-tinted windows allow
a great amount of outside light which is highly variable
depending on the type of weather, therefore, it is hard to have a
“balanced lighting” inside the laboratory. The less the influence
of outside light, the more accurate and reliable to work is.
Tinted windows can also be applied but it will be an additional
cost for the proposal.

Figure 36. X-ray Suite False Color Rendering

In the X-ray suite, the standard was met since the

standard was at 110 lux and the average illumination obtained
was at 196 lux.

Figure 39. Laboratory Luminaire Layout

The figure above shows the luminaire layout of the

laboratory. The design includes three recessed 15.5W-RC415B
from Philips. The luminaire is 940 neutral white with >90%
Figure 37. X-ray Suite Illumination Isolines
color rendering index and 4000 K color temperature. Since
laboratories are color-sensitive areas, it is required to have
100% color rendering index and 5,500 K, however it is
impossible to achieve because of many external factors, so, a
luminaire with >90% and 4000 K was chosen which was near
the ideal. It is also vital that this area have balanced lighting so
that work can accurately be done therefore luminaires were
placed such that uniform distribution is achieved. LED lighting
was also chosen since this type of lighting are more energy
efficient, more cost-saving compared to the conventional
incandescent and CFL bulbs and also, they are more
environmental-friendly.

Figure 38. X-ray Suite Illumination Value Chart

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Figure 40. Laboratory 3D Rendering Figure 42. Laboratory Illumination Isolines

Figure 43. Laboratory Illumination Value Chart

Figure 41. Laboratory False Color Rendering

The average illumination for the laboratory was 594

lux. The required illumination was at 540 lux; thus, the standard
was met.
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I. Treatment Room LED lighting was also chosen since this type of
Designing the lighting system of the treatment room lighting are more energy efficient, more cost-saving compared
was difficult as it required different illumination levels inside a to the conventional compact fluorescent lamp and incandescent
single room: 750 lux for the treatment room (in general), 1100 bulbs. Also, they are more environmental-friendly.
lux for the treatment bench, and 1600 lux for the instrument
cabinet. All in accordance to the Manual of Practice of Efficient
Lighting.

Figure 45. Treatment Room (general) 3D Render

Figure 44. Treatment Room Luminaire Layout

The figure above shows the luminaire layout of the

treatment room. The design consists of four recessed 35.5W-
Philips DN570B PSED-E for the treatment room (general). The
luminaires are 940 neutral white with >90% color rendering
index and 3000 K color temperature. Since treatment rooms are
color-sensitive areas, it is required to have 100% color
rendering index and 5,500 K, however it is impossible to
achieve due to many external factors, hence, a luminaire with
>90% color rendering index and 3000 K color temperature was
chosen, which was near to the ideal value. It is also important
that this area have balanced lighting so that work can be
accurately done therefore luminaires were placed such that
uniform distribution of lighting is achieved.
A 10.6W- DN460B from Philips was used for the
treatment bench. This luminaire is a 940 neutral white with
>90% color rendering index and 3000 K color temperature.
Since the treatment bench is also a color-sensitive area, it is
required to have 100% color rendering index and 5,500 K color
temperature. Again, it is impossible to achieve the ideal value Figure 46. Treatment Room (general) Isolines, False Colors,
because of many external factors, so, a luminaire with >90% Value Chart
and 3000 K was chosen. It is very important that the luminaire The average illumination for the treatment room was 813 lux.
is directed to the entrance of the oral cavity so that the treatment The required illumination was at 750 lux; therefore, the
can be accurately and precisely be done. standard was met.
The design also includes three recessed 29W- Philips
RC530B PSD W8L120 for the instrument cabinet. The
luminaires are 940 neutral white with >90% color rendering
index and 3000 K color temperature.
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Figure 47. Treatment Bench 3D Render
Figure 48. Treatment Bench Isolines, False Colors, Value
Chart
The average illumination for the treatment bench was 1231 lux.
The required illumination was at 1100 lux; therefore, the
standard was met.
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Figure 49. Instrument Area 3D Render
Figure 50. Instrument Area Isolines, False Colors, Value Chart
The average illumination for the treatment bench was 1847 lux.
The required illumination was at 1600 lux; therefore, the
standard was met.
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Figure 51. Treatment Room (combined) 3D Render Figure 53. Sterilization Room (general) 3D Render

Figure 52. Treatment Room (combined) Isolines, False Figure 54. Sterilization Room (general) Isolines, False
Colors, Value Chart Colors, Value Chart

The average illumination for the sterilization room (general)

J. Sterilization Room was 643 lux. The required illumination was at 540 lux;
The sterilization room requires 540 lux, in accordance therefore, the standard was met.
to the Manual of Practice of Efficient Lighting. To attain the
required level, two recessed 35.5W-Philips DN570B PSED-E
were used for the sterilization room (general) and three 29W-
Philips RC530B PSD W8L120 were used for the instrument
area inside of the sterilization room.
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Figure 55. Instrument Area 3D Render Figure 57. Sterilization Room (combined) 3D Render

Figure 56. Instrument Area Isolines, False Colors, Value Figure 58. Sterilization Room (combined) Isolines, False
Chart Colors, Value Chart

The average illumination for the instrument area was 2095 lux. IV. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The required illumination was at 1600 lux; therefore, the Table 2 shows the standard and the average values of
standard was met. illumination for each area in the dental clinic

Table 2. Standard vs Average illumination in each area

Area Standard Average
Staff Lounge 300 394
Doctor’s Office 300 362
Reception 300 415
Business Office 500 532
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Supply Room 150 301 The Laboratory had a resulting measured lux value of
Comfort Rooms 320 334 594 lux, which satisfied the standard lux value of 540 lux.
(Accessible) Similar to the X-Ray suite, the laboratory did not include any
Comfort Rooms 320 360 windows as natural light is usually inconsistent, especially in
(staff Accessible) unpredictable weather patterns, which will further bring
X-ray Suite 110 196 imbalance to the lighting of the room.
Laboratory 540 594
Treatment Room 750 813 The lighting layout design of the Treatment Room was
(general) difficult as it was divided into three sections (due to varying lux
Treatment Bench 1100 1231 requirements), the general treatment room which required 750
Instrument Area 1600 1847 lux, the treatment bench with 1100 lux, and the instrument
Sterilization Room 540 643 cabinet with 1600 lux. In the final lighting layout design, the
(general) average values for each section was 813 lux for the general
Instrument Area 1600 2095 treatment room, 1231 lux for the treatment bench, and 1847 lux
for the instrument cabinet. This was due to luminaires are 940
The dental clinic was comprised of various rooms neutral white with >90% color rendering index and 3000 K
whose areas required varying amounts of illumination based on color temperature and also for considerations of enough
the activity that was occurring on that particular site. Some lighting to suffice needed luminance for each section of the
rooms such as the Treatment Rooms have windows for the treatment room and at the same time prevent discomfort of
purposes of increased illumination in daytime, which is the time patients on excessive lighting as they would lean back and
where most dental clinics operate. slightly have a direct look at the ceiling.
Both the Staff Lounge and the Doctor’s office had both The Sterilization Area had a standard lux value of 540
met its standard and average is near to the standard which have lux and the resulting measured average lux was 643 lux;
394 lux average for the staff lounge and for the doctor’s office satisfying the standard. As equipment, containers and
which have an average lux of 362 since there is no meticulous instruments are found in this area, sufficient amount of
tasks done in the area, the lux average is enough for the room. illumination is significant as proper lighting helps minimise
shadow during sterilization process, and makes it easier to
The Reception area and waiting room had a measured notice disorganization from containers and instruments which
average of 406 lux, whereas the standard lux level is 300 lux. may lead to cross-contamination. Adequate lighting also helps
This is the important area where customers sit and the lighting in brightening the mood and increases the staff's efficiency.
need to be higher than standard to make them calm down and
make the room soothing. V. CONCLUSION

The Business Office was in average of 532 lux since Different areas of a dental clinic have different
business office need to be near standard because lighting at the purposes, this means that different types of lighting must be
office is critical to make the workers not irritated to lights and used to meet the requirements of the job. Each room is equipped
to increase productivity. It may even influence shopping habits with lightings that will ensure the safety and functionality of the
for customers. room. Various lighting techniques that provides aesthetics as
well as considering technical and economic aspects were
The Supply Room resulted in a measured average of incorporated with the design with the goal of meeting the
301 lux; twice the standard as the light distribution inside the required illumination levels in mind.
room was difficult due to the obstruction of the cabinet rack and
its height respective to the ceiling, therefore casting a low VI. SO2 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
readings in almost half of the room as per the false color render. The table below shows the SO2 design considerations
Although, the high lux values were on the cabinet face, where the group considered.
the activity inside the room occurs.
Considerations Low Medium High
For the Comfort Rooms, the resulting measured Public Health ✓
averages were close to the standard, which was 320 lux. This Safety and Welfare ✓
was due to the various design factors such as the reflectance
factors of the wallpaper, floor tiles, fixture material Global ✓
characteristics and such. Cultural ✓
Social ✓
The X-Ray Suite had a resulting measured lux value Environmental ✓
of 196 lux whereas the standard lux level was 110 lux. X-Ray Economic ✓
Suites do not normally require high lux values as they may
affect the X-Ray results. The design did not include any Table 1. SO2 Design Considerations
windows as the standard lux level was easily reached.
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Since a dental clinic is where health and safety matters

most, we made sure to prioritize these considerations. We have
to make sure that there is enough illumination and prevent any
accidents that may occur concerning the illumination design.
We paid close attention to the functionality and technical aspect
of the room and made sure that each room will provide the
dental clinic staffs and their clients’ utmost safety, especially
during operations.

Economic aspect of the design was given medium

consideration, the design utilized lighting techniques that will
ensure savings without necessarily sacrificing the lighting
output.

Global, cultural, social, and environmental aspects

were given low consideration, as it doesn’t necessarily agree to
the main purpose of the dental clinic.

VII. REFERENCES
Airfal. (2015, April 30). Recommended lighting levels for
offices. Retrieved from
https://www.airfal.com/en/residential-lighting-
news/recommended-lighting-levels-for-offices-4265/
Dental Office Lighting. (2006, December 1). Retrieved from
Densitry Today:
https://www.dentistrytoday.com/restorative/photogra
phy/1631--sp-344655444
Department of Energy (2007). Manual of Practice on Efficient
Lighting. Retrieved from
https://www.noao.edu/education/QLTkit/ACTIVITY
_Documents/Safety/LightLevels_outdoor+indoor.pdf
Dilouie, C. (2016, March 18). Introduction to Lighting Design.
Retrieved from LightNOW:
https://www.lightnowblog.com/2016/03/introduction-
to-lighting-design/
Lighting Equipment. (2018, January 28). How to Design
Lighting in Dental Clinic. Retrieved from
http://lightingequipmentsales.com/design-lighting
-dental-clinic.html
Price, D. L., & Shaw, W. A. (1979). Illumination of the dental
operatory. Journala of the American Dental
Association, 925-928.
Zadeh, P. T. (2006, December 1). Dental Office Lighting.
Retrieved from
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aphy/1631--sp-344655444