Many of us consider dental offices to be uncomfortable and are anxious to leave upon arrival. I have recently been in my patients’ position of needing dentistry. I was kept in the chair for greater than an hour and as an energetic person that was hard. I do think that the experience was a wonderful refresher in empathy! The sounds and the inability to move around were the most difficult for me to handle. Distractions are crucial to making the appointment easier and less stressful. An affective approach to distracting patients while in the chair is to bring the comfort of the movies to dentistry. Now we are able to use DVD eyeglasses that show movies or television series to distract a patient. Last week we used this method with a patient who is painfully claustrophobic. His wife later stated that he raved about the easiest dental appointment he had ever had! We also recommend our patients bring their own personal music choices, by way of iPods, to create their own environment. We have also found that the ability to look out our windows at the mountains, trees and people have the relaxation results of watching fish swimming in an aquarium. The “gift for gab” cannot be under valued. The relationship with your dental team, their interest in you and your family provides a comforting feeling.
For your next dental visit think about what would help make it easier, shorter, and more relaxing for you! The options are endless from DVD glasses to bringing your teddy bear to cuddle. Distract your way to dental health.
For more information, please call 661-255-2545.