I recently sat in a dentist’s chair for an hour and a half, feeling the pain of my jaw wide open, listening to the hard metal scraping against the edges of my teeth, the shrill sound of the drill. Oh the drill. There’s nothing quite as disconcerting as that high-pitched screech and gritty crumble of your teeth echoing inside your skull. As I sat there trying not to think about the sharp metal object jamming deep into my head, I came to a conclusion. Two conclusions really. One, I have an overly vivid imagination and given all this free time with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling, listening to those awful sounds, I have the ability to come up with some pretty horrific dental catastrophe scenarios. I will not share them with you, you may need dental work soon. Second, and more importantly, I need a more high-tech dentist.
Prior to this visit of mine, my husband had a root canal done at a different office; a three-hour root canal, actually. He may have been nervous about the procedure itself, but that receded into the background when he thought about lying there for three hours, his nerves raw and nothing to do but count the tiles on the ceiling. Fearing that the mind would eventually go numb, he tried to convince the dentist to sedate him. They insisted it wasn’t necessary, and once they started, he was quite impressed. It was like being at the movies, with the addition of a few minor distractions and a numb face. This dental office had personal movie glasses. He picked from a selection of movies, put on these Star Trek glasses, and watched an entire movie. Just as he finished the film, his procedure was performed. He was completely distracted the entire time. Much more fun than my exhausting visit.
So as I sat in my drab dentist’s office, wishing I’d gone to a more high-tech type, I decided I’d be looking around before my next visit. And near the top of my list of questions, I wanted to know more about these fancy toys and who has the products. And not just for me, but for my children. With three kids, including two tough, unruly toddlers, we’re likely to have some teeth pulled and maybe some fillings. Even when basic cleaning is done, keeping young children still and patiently waiting can be a real struggle, while keeping older ones from whimpering the well-known childhood mantra, “I’m bored.” In this high-tech age, why not have the best equipment in our doctor’s and dentist’s office?
So I’m on a mission to find the best and funniest entertainment in my healthcare providers. Why not go to an office that is fun, offers the best gadgets and extra entertainment during an essential visit that so many dread and many avoid altogether? In fact, an article from the American Dental Association states that “Fear and anxiety often prevent patients from seeking dental care.
Audiovisual or A/V distraction techniques have been shown to reduce patient anxiety and pain during dental procedures.” And yet, there are only a few practices in my area that offer these advances. But those that do For example, an amazing dentist near us offers a flat-screen TV in the reception area, a built-in Nintendo gaming system, “tap-to-play” computerized games featuring quizzes, card games, strategy and trivia, plus once you’ve settled in and start your work, you can watch movies or satellite TV with a bluetooth headset.
There are many great providers out there, but finding a provider that can take care of your health needs while offering those special benefits can make going to the dentist an entirely different experience. I’m even thinking that I can convince the kids that their semi-annual dates are, in fact, a reward for good behavior! Is it a necessity for your doctor or dentist to keep up with the latest technological discoveries? Maybe not, but for me and my family, we have a few more expectations these days.