Frequently Asked Questions:
Why purchase Dome equipment?
For more than 40 years, Dome has had an excellent reputation for customer service and for building durable, high quality orthodontic equipment.
A list of references is available by request. The workmanship and the attention to detail on every Dome chair and delivery unit shows how important quality is to all Dome employees.
What is the warranty on Dome equipment?
The Dome Innovation Chair has a one year labor warranty and a five year parts warranty. The Dome delivery units have a one year parts and labor warranty.
If a repair is necessary, please call Dome first for the parts, diagrams and instructions before calling a service technician.
How durable is a patient chair made with plastic and steel?
Cross-linked polyethylene plastic has some definite advantages over other materials. There are a number of reasons why Dome has sold so many chairs over the last 30 years and still has so many happy customers.
The plastic used to make the exterior frame of a Dome Innovation Chair is durable and chemically resistant. The Dome Chair is relatively inexpensive to make because polyethylene plastic can be rotationally molded into a complex curved shape. The result is a comfortable, functional and beautiful orthodontic treatment chair.
Since the shape of the chair is contoured to fit the patient, the chair is comfortable even without the upholstery. This allows the upholstery to be thin cushions which are easily reversible and also relatively inexpensive to replace.
It is not surprising that the Dome Innovation Chair has proved to be durable over time. Many products that are made for heavy duty applications are made from cross-linked polyethylene plastic: white water kayaks, sit-on-top ocean kayaks, shipping containers and even 2,500 gallon water tanks.
The Dome Innovation Chair does not depend entirely on its external polyethylene frame. There is also an internal steel frame inside and large aluminum inserts where chair back connects to the seat.
If the chair frame is damaged by something sharp, the surface can be repaired. Just lightly sand and polish the damaged area. The chair frame is the same color all of the way through.
How long does it take to receive equipment from the date the order is placed?
The normal production time is five to six weeks for Dome Innovation Chairs, six to seven weeks for delivery units and three weeks for stools or replacement chair upholstery sets. The normal shipping time is two days to one week in the continental United States and one to two weeks to Canada. The normal shipping time by air freight outside of North America is one week.
Rush orders are possible sometimes, depending on the current status of the production schedule.
If you need the equipment to arrive by a specific date, please call Dome's Production Manager so that he can determine if a production time can be scheduled.
Please note that the normal production time can change as new orders are received and completed orders are shipped, but once your order is received and scheduled, your scheduled shipping date will not change except by your request.
Dome will not ship equipment until you are ready to receive it.
Where is Dome operatory equipment on display?
Dome has equipment on display at the Annual AAO Meeting in May. Dome also has a showroom in Los Angeles that is open by appointment.
If you would like a list of orthodontists in your area who have purchased Dome equipment, please call.
Are Dome chairs available with programmable controls?
Although all Dome chairs have automatic return, they are not programmable. There was a time years ago when Dome sold chairs with programmable controls, but there were several instances when assistants accidentally crushed headrests and stool seats.
Considering the possible liability and the number of lawyers in North America, we have chosen not to offer programmable controls. It probably will not take any extra time to lower the chair back if you are talking to the patient for the seven seconds while the chair is going to the full 'down' position.
All Dome Innovation Chairs have automatic return for the chair back.
Where are Dome chairs and delivery units made?
Dome manufactures chairs and delivery units in Southern California. Tarzana is in the northwestern part of the City of Los Angeles.
Who pays for shipping?
Shipping is not included in the price of Dome equipment. Dome has good discounts with a number of shipping companies. We always call around to find the best price before sending out a shipment. Dome does not charge for handling.
If you are thinking about purchasing equipment from Dome, please call for a shipping quote.
Who installs Dome equipment?
Installation is usually made by a local dental repair and supply company. The company that is supplying your vacuum system, compressor or X-ray will probably install your Dome operatory equipment for an hourly rate.
If you would like the name of an installer to hire, a list of orthodontists in your area who have purchased Dome equipment can be provided. If you know any of the doctors on the list, you could ask them which installer they would recommend.
Dome equipment has been designed so that it can be installed easily. Anyone who is good with tools should be able to install Dome equipment with the instructions, diagrams and telephone support provided.
Who designs orthodontic offices?
There are a number of companies that specialize in the design of orthodontic offices. Please call Dome to request a list.
Many of the offices shown in the Gallery on this website were designed by green curve studio inc. (www.greencurve.com) and their photographs have a © green curve studio at the bottom.
Will Dome help design an orthodontic office?
After your space designer has completed the preliminary plan, Dome does not charge to critique an office design or to spot the patient chairs in the operatory.
Full size templates of the chairs and delivery units are available by request. If the templates are placed on the floor in the operatory or in an equivalent size space, it should be easy to determine if the space between the chairs is correct. The location of plumbing and electrical connections can also be easily marked from the position of the templates on the floor.
Are plumbing and electrical specifications sheets available?
Please call Dome for the necessary plumbing and electrical specification sheets. Full size templates of the chairs and the delivery units are also available to help spot the location of the junction box connections in the floor.
We are always happy to talk to architects or contractors if they have any questions.
Is a junction box included with Dome equipment?
Junction boxes are sold separately.
What type of junction box should be installed?
Depending on the floor in the office, different junction boxes are typically installed. Please call Dome for the diagrams and specifications to be sure that you have the correct installation information.
If the office has a suspended concrete floor with another office or basement below, the fire codes usually specify that an above floor junction box should be installed. If there is a delivery unit that has wheels, the junction box is usually placed under the patient chair, under the patient's feet, out of the traffic lane. If there is a delivery unit that is bolted to the floor, the delivery unit usually functions as the junction box with the plumbing connections inside.
If the office has a concrete slab floor (over dirt), you might want to consider a recessed junction box instead of an above floor junction box. If there is a delivery unit that is bolted to the floor, the delivery unit usually functions as the junction box with the plumbing connections inside and the pipes above the floor.
If there is an office with a wood floor and a basement or crawl space below, a junction box enclosure is usually not needed. The utility pipes usually end below the floor, near the patient's feet when they are sitting in the treatment chair.
If there is a crawl space below the floor, a 12" x 12" access panel is usually cut in the floor to allow easy access. If there is a delivery unit that is bolted to the floor, the delivery unit usually functions as the junction box with the plumbing connections inside and the pipes above the floor.
Can a hose retraction system be installed in Dome delivery units?
Although Dome has a good hose retraction system, Dome has not sold any retraction systems for many years.
With the current asepsis standards, retractable hoses are a problem. When a retractable hose is pulled out of the cabinet, it must be disinfected before it is allowed to be retracted back into the cabinet. If a contaminated hose is allowed to be retracted back into the cabinet, the both the retraction rollers inside the cabinet and the hose must be disinfected before the hose is used again for another patient.
