If you are stressed when you get to the dental office, you should find a dentist who cares about helping you feel more relaxed. Consider some creative tactics to soothe patients.
It is hard to feel relaxed when you visit a dental office,
no matter how much work you need done. However, some dentists are really trying to help patients stay calm. If they cannot do this through providing lots of information about each procedure, as well as providing sedation dentistry, they may try other tactics. Consider what those may be.
One method that is becoming rather common is to provide soothing decor so that the environment is generally relaxing. When you walk in, you might see colors on the walls, including sea foam green and baby blue, that prompt people to loosen up a bit. The typical relaxing dental office also has at least one fountain, whether large or small. This is because many people like the sound of running water, as it can be soothing. This is also why some offices have a fish tank in the waiting room, aside from the fact that the fish are just nice to look at, too.
Some dentists try to incorporate the other senses, as well. For example, they might have aromatherapy candles, which feature scents that are known for helping relax patients. If you wonder if a particular scent will really help you feel calm at the dental office, find one that uses this tactic and try it out. In addition, some dentists play music that they believe will soothe patients. This is usually slow music, and it might even be classical. Of course, this does not work for everyone, which is why other methods may be used, too.
You can usually find some soothing features not just in the waiting room, but also the exam room. For instance, you can typically watch television or listen to music of your choice as you get a cleaning, extraction, or root canal. If your dentist does not offer these common features, you can ask about them. You should at least get a book or magazine to read, if possible, as having something to do can help the time go by faster. Of course, it may be hard to read during most procedures, which is why TVs and radios are used in the typical dental office.
If you are knocked out with medication, these methods will not really matter. However, your dentist can still make the chair a little more comfortable for you. For example, some dentists place extra cushioning in the chair, or even pillows and a blanket, taking sleep dentistry to a whole new level. If you will be in the chair for a long time, you should ask about a few ways to make it more comfortable.
Not every dental office goes the extra mile to make patients feel comfortable while waiting or getting procedures done. If this is important to you, therefore, you should make it a point to find a practitioner who pays attention to the little things. There are so many offices to choose from in each city that you should get the one that works best for you.
