Essential IT Considerations When Setting Up A Squat Dental Practices
- Liam McNaughton
- Aug 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 16
“Squats.” One of those peculiar industry words that, before you get involved in dentistry, you’d never imagine would have anything to do with IT.
Over the years, I’ve helped hundreds of dental practices set up from scratch. One truth remains consistent: if you don’t get the IT right from the start, you’ll spend years paying the price. Retrofitting technology is expensive, disruptive, and often impossible without compromise.
IT considerations when setting up a squat practice
This guide sets out the essential IT considerations for squat practices. Think of it as your blueprint for building a practice that runs smoothly from day one and scales as you grow.
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1. Cabling: The Foundation of Your Practice
No – you cannot “just do WiFi everywhere.” Even the latest WiFi 6 or WiFi 7 systems rarely deliver more than 100–200 Mbps consistently. Wireless is never as reliable as wired connections. Imaging systems, VoIP, and cloud applications demand stability and bandwidth.
That’s why you need structured cabling. This is one of the most important, and most commonly overlooked, elements of your practice IT.
Golden Rules for Structured Cabling:
Use a specialist: Don’t let the builder or electrician “have a go.” Data cabling is a different discipline from electrics.
Cable quality matters: CAT6 low-smoke (LSZH) is the current sweet spot for cost/performance and is required in public buildings.
Correct routing:
- No bends sharper than 90°
- Never squashed, tacked, or run along skirting boards
- Avoid proximity to mains cables
Professional presentation:
- Trunked or hidden in trays/walls
- Terminated into a labelled patch panel in a grounded steel cabinet
Testing: Every run should be tested end-to-end at a minimum of 1 Gbps, ideally with FLUKE-certified equipment.
Numbering: Faceplates must match patch panel labels for easy fault-finding and future moves/adds/changes.
If your contractor looks confused at any of these points, they are not the right people for this job.
2. The Comms Cabinet
This is the beating heart of your network. It houses:
Switches
Firewall/router
Internet termination
Optional server/NAS
Potential CCTV or legacy PBX
Cabinet Requirements:
Standard 600mm wide, 450–500mm deep
12U–15U tall (gives space for growth)
Located in a back office, plant room, or storeroom – never reception or a surgery
Accessible for support but not in public view
Provides airflow and cooling (fans generate noise, so location matters)
Skipping the cabinet often leads to a spaghetti of cables under reception desks or switches stuck on walls. Don’t do it.
3. Internet Connectivity
A squat site almost always needs a new line: FTTP, SOGEA, or a leased line.
Providers: Typically BT Openreach, Virgin, or a local alternative network (alt-net).
Constraints: Engineers usually only terminate within a few metres of the building entry point. They will need local power and may use existing ducts/poles.
Best Practice: Plan for the internet line to terminate directly into your comms cabinet. Reliability depends on having everything centralised.
4. How Many Network Points?
This is partly future-proofing and partly educated guesswork. Over time, I’ve developed a formula that works well:
Surgeries: 2 sockets each (PC + spare for scanner, phone, or imaging).
Reception/Offices: 4 sockets each (PC, phone, printer, PDQ).
Why?
Adding sockets later means tearing up walls and cabinetry.
Imaging and scanners increasingly connect over Ethernet.
Phones may be IP-based and need network ports.
Tip: If budget is tight and you’re certain a room will only ever have one PC, you could get away with one port - but you’ll regret it if you expand.
5. Cabling & Build Timelines
Data cablers generally work alongside electricians:
First Fix: Cables routed while walls are open.
Second Fix: Faceplates installed, patch panels terminated, sockets fitted.
Coordination is key: if the cabling isn’t in at first fix, retrofitting becomes very difficult.
6. WiFi
WiFi is critical - not just for mobile devices, but also for:
Walkabout phones
Clinipads/iPads
Imaging scanners (e.g., iTero)
Staff laptops/tablets
Design Principles:
Never rely on a single router.
Install multiple ceiling-mounted access points, each wired back to the cabinet.
WiFi works best from the ceiling, not from boxes hidden under desks.
Vendors We Recommend:
Ubiquiti UniFi (excellent value, widely supported)
Cisco Meraki (enterprise-grade, full cloud management)
7. Monitors & Displays
Surgery Monitors
Wall-mounted second screens (VESA-capable).
Connect via HDMI from PC area - always run a spare HDMI or CAT6 for resilience.
Protect cable ends during building works to avoid damage (HDMI cables cannot be re-terminated).
Ceiling TVs
Entertainment/distraction only.
Use smart TVs running over WiFi - no network or HDMI cabling required.
Reception TVs
Never connect to receptionist’s PC as a second monitor (serious GDPR risk).
Use either:
- A dedicated PC with controlled display content, or
- A smart TV running looping slides/videos from a USB stick.
8. Workstations
Options include towers, mini-PCs, and all-in-ones (AIOs).
Why AIOs Are Often Best:
Sleek design and modern look
Built-in webcam and audio (great for Teams/Zoom training calls)
Touchscreen options available
Minimal cables and clutter
Easy to add second (or even third) screens
When You Need Towers Instead:
High-performance requirements (e.g., CBCT or scanners needing 4–6GB GPUs).
Very large or curved monitors.
Specs:
Aim for i7 or i9 processors (i5 only for very light admin).
Don’t skimp: slow PCs cost more in lost productivity than the hardware saving.
We favour HP, but Dell and Lenovo are also reliable.
9. Phones
Forget on-premises PBXs. Cloud-based systems are now the standard. Benefits include:
AI-driven features such as call analytics and transcription
Flexible, scalable — add users easily
Softphones and mobile integration
No five-year contracts at £300–£500/month
Our Recommendation: Zoom Phone with AI analytics - powerful, affordable, future-proof (Book a demo call here).
10. Servers
Do you still need one? Sometimes.
Cloud practice management (Dentally, SOE, etc.) may remove the need.
Digital imaging in the cloud is expensive. Many CBCT/X-ray vendors still require local servers.
Always check vendor requirements before ruling servers out.
11. Switches & Firewalls
Go cloud-managed. Benefits include remote monitoring, simplified support, and security policy management.
Unifi: Good value for small to mid-size practices.
Cisco Meraki: Best-in-class features, enterprise-grade.
12. Cloud Services & Identity
Practices should go cloud-first with Microsoft 365 from day one:
Single sign-on with Entra ID (Azure AD)
Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint for collaboration and document storage
Staff onboarded directly into modern working practices - no migrations later
Centralised control of access and compliance
13. Project Management
The most successful squat practices always have one thing in common: a good project manager.
Coordinates trades and suppliers
Ensures IT integrates with cabinetry, electrics, and clinical equipment
Prevents costly mistakes and downtime
It may feel like an extra cost, but the savings in avoided disruption are substantial. We work with experienced dental project managers such as Tracy Bean (BH Projects), whose expertise consistently delivers smooth builds.
Final Word
Launching a squat practice is one of the most complex professional projects you’ll ever undertake. IT can make or break it. Get the fundamentals right — cabling, cabinet, connectivity, cloud — and everything else falls into place.
Key Takeaway: Build your IT once, build it right, and you’ll thank yourself for years to come.
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