Reducing the Fear Factor
October 14th, 2007 by NatashaAfter searching ‘dentist’ on various blogging websites, a common theme appeared: ‘OMG, I have to go to the dentist’ with ‘fear’ and ‘anxiety’ high on the list of keywords. It amazes me that people are still afraid.
So how are you able to reduce or even remove this fear. Of course you can offer the obligatory synthetic relief (’give me the drugs!’) but from a design point of view you can also sooth the senses.
Have a look at:
1. Colour - making your surgery (throughout) pleasing to the eye. Often people strive to get the waiting area as comfortable as possible, but one technique we use is ensuring one of the waiting room finishes is significant in the operatory.
2. Texture - as above. Using a varienty of textures throughout the surgery reduces that sterile/surgical feel. It’s important to get the right balance between clean/sterile and comfortable/relaxing.
3. Warmth - ambiance is extremely important. We understand that lighting in the operatory needs to be correct (especially for colour matching), but ensuring that the lighting throughout the rest of the space is warm and inviting.
4. Movement - ‘Give ‘em the old razzle dazzle’ and distract with colour and movement. Often a television is used above the patients head or the good old fish tank. You might even have a passion for fine artwork (also covering the colour and texture elements)
5. Smell - aromatherapy is popping up everywhere at the moment. Don’t feel that you need to employ a specialist - a simple essential oil burner might just do the trick, or essense through the a/c system. One of our clients offered a range of perfumes and colonges at the refresh area.
6. Sound - music is often used to ‘calm the savage beast’. There are various systems available from a simple feed through your computer to volume and area controls to each room (so each work space has control of it’s own level and style of music)
7. Touch - one of our clients offered warm hand towels after a treatment. This is a simple gesture that is calming and soothing.
So, that’s a couple of ways to reduce the fear in your surgery - I’d love to hear of ways you have found useful.
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October 16th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
This sounds like a fantastic way to go to the dentist, as I recall the memory of my childhood dentist, bad elevator music, 50’s furnishings (it wasn’t the 50’s), the sound of “the drill”, and that horrible smell, and not that more gentle aesthetics would have done anything about Dr. Nelson’s gigantic hands… but it would have taken the edge off the whole experience.
October 21st, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Hi Natasha,
You have restored my faith!
Like Joe, my experiences of the dentist were very unpleasant - despite him being a very nice, sympathetic man - and I’ve kept my visits as rare as possibly since my childhood.
I hope all dentists take your suggestions to heart - they would certainly lure one customer back into the fold
S.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:59 am
Wow, these suggestions are wonderful. Why stop at applying them to a dental surgery? I had to take my father to the local hospitals emergency room a few months ago and I can see that these tips (had they been applied) would have helped to decrease our anxiety. Pictures of Ronald McDonald on the walls certainly did not help!
It makes the world of difference paying attention to each of the little things you listed - smell, touch, etc. I just wish more dentists and doctors took the time to focus on these aspects in their workplaces.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I am forwarding this onto my husband who has been procrastinating for a long time about returning to the dentist… also, as a fellow baby blogger, am wanting to share with him what you guys do and obviously so well. He was interested in there being a market for interior design for dentists. I hope this will encourage him to go for his 6 monthly check-ups a little more stress free!