Feb 20 2008
Comfort facilities to woo patients towards dental clinic
Feb 20: Some among the patients are hesitant to consult doctors because of their fear to face the ambiance of the hospital and complication in the treatment procedure. As an attempt to minimise the fear of those patients, dentists are considering additional measures to give a clear picture about the dental treatment procedures by remoulding the hospital background as more patient friendly one. Entertainment facilities and spa-type refreshment are the options that are under consideration.
According to a study conducted among dental patients in the US shows that about one quarter of the adults are experiencing fear to visit dentist. The advancement in technology which includes numbing gels, anaesthetics and sedatives has the capability to minimise pain to a great deal, all these development has failed to alleviate the fear of these patients. The procedure of dentistry has also been made comfortable than before.
Some dentists provide facilities to make the patients enjoy music and watch television as an attempt to make them feel relaxed and to keep their nerves off the dentist’s chair. One dentist opined that he is thinking about including spa services at his dental clinic as he himself had fear to visit dentist during his childhood. The Sheboygan Smile Centre in Wisconsin includes aromatherapy and music in all rooms and the patients are allowed to customise as according to their taste.
Spa trend in dentist office is gaining prominence in the US and the rate will vary as according to the added facilities included in it. In the year 2003 the American Dental Association (ADA) in its report expressed that more than half of the 427 dentists surveyed at the annual meeting provided spa services in one form or other to impress their patients. ADA also stressed on the point that proper treatment of the patients is the main priority other than the added features. Gaining trust of the patients and maintaining good patient/dentist relationship is the core value of dentistry.
