Visits to the dentist or medical office can fill us with dread, with a majority of dental patients experiencing anxiety before an appointment. As with many other things in life, the fear of visiting a dentist is generally worse than the actual treatment.

So, if you are designing a dentist's office, it pays to create an environment that reduces patient stress and anxiety. In this blog post, we'll look at five design office design tips to reduce patient stress while they wait for an appointment with the dentist.

1. Use Relaxed Decor

Soft furnishing is best in an environment where the visitors are likely to be nervous. Soft hues are best for the wall color and warm, bright flowers serve to create a welcoming environment.

Toys are another useful addition, given how nervous children can become before dental appointments. Create a corner of the waiting room and fill it with fun games and toys that will take their mind off their worries.

2. Provide Comfortable Seating

Even if the patient will only be in the waiting room for a few minutes, a comfortable chair can serve to relax them and lessen their anxiety. Individual chairs are best for people visiting solo; whole sofas ensure that worried family members don't feel isolated during their wait.

Therefore, a mixture of both individual chairs and sofas works best in a dental waiting room. That said, it's best to avoid keeping a patient waiting too long before an appointment, so punctuality is also key.

3. Keep Your Reading Material Updated

If a patient has a few minutes to wait before their appointment, they might appreciate having something magazines to flick through. A four-year-old copy of National Geographic or a crumpled and torn celebrity magazine should not be anywhere near a dental office waiting room.

Have a variety of magazines to match every taste and replace them regularly, every few weeks is fine. It's amazing how reading a magazine can take one's mind off of their anxieties.

4. Pipe In Some Pleasant Music

Silence in a waiting room, broken only by the sound of dental equipment whizzing away behind a closed door, should be avoided. Play some relaxing and smooth music that puts the patient at ease. Classic or jazz music is easy to listen to; just be sure not to blast the music too loud, as this could have the opposite effect.

5. Smell Is An Important Sense

Smell can play a big role in our anxieties when it comes to a dentist's office. Mask the smell of formaldehyde and disinfectant with other, more pleasant aromas. Candles work great here, as do flowers, which serve to put patients at ease before it's their turn for the dentist's chair.

Pay Close Attention to Dental Office Design

A cold-feeling and clinical dental office design, with sparse furnishing and dull lighting, can increase any feelings of stress that patients may be feeling. Create an environment that feels safe, warm, and welcoming, which in turn will make patients want to return for dental appointments.

Arminco Inc. is the No. 1 provider of design, construction, project management, and equipment sales & service for the dental and medical market. Develop your practice with our help and expertise.