# What does it take to build a dental office in Ontario?

> Building a dental office in Ontario: X-ray approval before shielding goes in, operatory services, sterilization and the permit. Cruzz Construction, Hamilton.

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- Section: Home > Commercial > Dental office construction
- Business: Cruzz Construction, Hamilton, ON, Canada (serves Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Mississauga, Toronto)
- Phone: (289) 308-6563 | Email: info@cruzzconstruction.com
- Page updated: 2026-11-04

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Commercial construction

Building a dental office in Ontario means a building permit for the fit-out, operatories with plumbing and air run to every chair, a sterilization area laid out for clean and dirty flow, and written government approval before any X-ray machine or its room shielding is installed. Cruzz Construction builds dental and medical clinics in Hamilton, Halton and Toronto, in leased units.

[Call (289) 308-6563](tel:+12893086563) [Discuss a project](https://cruzzconstruction.com/request/?face=commercial)

## Do dental X-ray rooms need approval before construction?

Yes. The [Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h02) says no one may install an X-ray machine without the Director's written approval, and section 1 makes the shielding of the room part of the installation. The [Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario](https://www.rcdso.org/en-ca/standards-guidelines-resources/rcdso-news/articles/1393) tells dentists that written approval is required before installing, replacing or changing an X-ray installation. Walls with shielding are built to the approved plan.

## What goes into a dental operatory before the cabinets?

The services each chair needs, run under the floor or in the walls to the positions the equipment supplier specifies: water, drain, compressed air, suction and power. The dental equipment supplier's installation drawings decide those positions, so they are needed before framing starts. Moving a chair after the floor is closed is the costly kind of change.

## How is a sterilization area planned?

Around one-way flow from dirty to clean, with the sinks, counters and equipment the infection-control plan calls for. [Public Health Ontario](https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/health-topics/infection-prevention-control/clinical-office-practice) publishes infection prevention and control guidance for clinical offices, and the dentist's own college sets the standard for the practice. The layout follows the practice's design team; the build follows the layout. The [handover checklist](https://cruzzconstruction.com/guides/commercial-handover/) covers what is collected at the end.

## What permits does a dental fit-out need?

A building permit for the alterations, an electrical notification for the power and lighting, and the X-ray approval above. Hamilton's [small-business permit guidance](https://www.hamilton.ca/build-invest-grow/starting-small-business/permits-inspections/building-permits-small-businesses) and Toronto's [interior alterations guide](https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/building-construction/building-permit/before-you-apply-for-a-building-permit/building-permit-application-guides/guides-for-other-buildings/interior-alterations-non-residential/) are the municipal starting points. [Tenant improvements](https://cruzzconstruction.com/commercial/tenant-improvements/) covers the landlord's side.

## What should a dentist send to get the build priced?

The design drawings, the equipment supplier's installation drawings, the X-ray approval or application status, the landlord's criteria and the target opening. Medical and specialist clinics have their own page: [medical clinic construction](https://cruzzconstruction.com/commercial/medical-clinics/).

**Rooms in a dental office and what each needs from the build**

| Room | What the build provides | Set by |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Operatory | Water, drain, air, suction and power at each chair position. | The equipment supplier's installation drawings. |
| X-ray room or imaging area | Shielded walls built to the approved plan. | The written approval under the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act. |
| Sterilization | Sinks, counters and power laid out for dirty-to-clean flow. | The practice's infection-control plan. |
| Reception and waiting | Finishes, millwork and accessible routes. | The design drawings and the Building Code. |

Published by Cruzz Construction, Hamilton. Updated November 4, 2026.

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