Whether you’re trying to create a better experience for your patients or stave off dental patient anxiety before it hits, designing a comforting treatment area is one of the best things you can do for your patients (and your business). Having a place where a person can relax during treatment will help you retain more patients, gain referrals for new business and increase your overall revenue.

Your patients will thank you for it too.

Place yourself, at least for a second, in the shoes of a patient. Are you more willing to visit a dental office with a nice, comforting treatment experience or one with a cold, uninviting mood?

Here’s how you can design a comfortable treatment area.

Start with the Lighting

Dimmer lights can lower the tension of an environment, as will non-fluorescent lighting. Having said that, you also need to make sure that you have ample lighting to treat patients without having to use night vision goggles. Set up the lighting in your treatment area so it creates a calming experience. Better yet, give patients control over the lights using a remote. This will allow them to set the lighting at a comfortable level for them. You can use directional lights to illuminate patients during treatment, and it can even help to give them a pair of sunglasses if they prefer a dimmer environment.

Music is Calming

If you choose the right music, even the most anxious patients will become calmer. Invest in a good speaker and music system that will fill your treatment areas with calming music that is not too loud or aggressive. Better yet, set up your system so that each patient can change the music in each treatment room, giving them even greater control over their treatment experience.

Distractions Are a Good Thing

Giving patients something to do or fixate on during treatment allows them to take their mind off the work you are performing. The passage of time (at least their perception of it) will also be quicker. A television in each room makes for the most ideal form of distraction, and letting each patient choose what to watch gives them even more control over the situation.

Invest in the Right Seating and Cushioning

There is no replacement for a comfortable dental chair and cushioning. Besides the tools you use to treat, it is the single most important investment you can make for your practice. Every patient, regardless of age, will appreciate being comfortable while being treated. It relaxes them. It makes them less likely to feel anxious. It simply makes them more likely to return to your practice again and again. While dental chairs can be expensive, simple and effective cushioning is very affordable.

You’ll be surprised how much difference a dental headrest can make in helping a patient feel comfortable. Not only does it provide more cushioning for their head, it also allows you to tilt their head backward, gaining more access to treatment areas, without making the patient uncomfortable.

Give your patients the comfort they deserve by investing in dental chair accessories.
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