response, but put in a few customized, interactive touch screens and maybe a rideable game or two that the kids can't get at home and you are creating instant "cool-ness". This is what the kids will talk about at school, what will get their friends to ask their moms to go see you and what will increase your new patient flow! Quality, durability and value are of course very important. Who you buy your games from, the materi-als used in construction, the level of customization, the themes and the number you purchase all matter. Remember that the "coolness factor" will play a signifi-cant role in your game room becoming a referral source so choose carefully. Having bought games from multi-ple vendors, I think it is important to be willing to spend enough to get high-quality, well-designed, cool games that are different than what the kids already have access to. I've also found that the vendor who advertises most and charges the most may not necessar-ily be the way to go. Don’t be so dazzled by the glitz on the front end that you don’t check into the all-impor-tant area of customer service and support! You will have problems with your games – that is a fact of life. Just make sure you have a vendor who stands behind his games and takes care of you… QUICKLY! the time and effort, make sure it is well-designed, and large enough to be inviting and user friendly. Power supply and temperature control are often overlooked and seemingly small details that can cause big problems, so think about these things before decid-ing on where to put your game room. Are there ample outlets capable of supporting the number and type of games you're installing? Is the room well ventilated and easy to maintain at a comfortable temperature when there are kids at every game? The "coolness factor" is probably the most important element of any game room. Stick a couple of decade-old Gameboys on the wall and you won't get the intended BUILDING A GAME ROOM IN A NEW OFFICE If you are building your office from scratch, you have the luxury of making your game room a part of the flow of the space. This is a huge advantage and you can do some incredible things with a little creativity. However, with dental offices ranging anywhere from 150-250 dollars a square foot, it is vital to use your space wisely. Don’t rely on dental equipment sales people to design your office. You need professional expertise and many times proper design will eliminate otherwise wasted spaces and create more usable square footage to accommodate a game room. Dead space is expensive, and it is often present in offices designed by those who are not motivated to utilize every foot. As an aside, one of my favorite pastimes is reviewing floor plans and discussing the pros and cons of a design. Fortunately, I have a good bit of experience in this area by now, and word has gotten around. People email me plans all the time, and when asked for my opinions, I'm happy to share them, so feel free to email me if you'd like some help! My final bit of advice is Just Go For It! Game rooms are a no brainer! If a substantial portion of your patient population includes gamers, you can enhance your new patient flow by thrilling the patients you have so that they bring in the ones you don’t! 52 March/April 2011 JAOS
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society March-April 2011: Page 52
