Did you know that between 50% and 80% of dental patients suffer from dental anxiety?

There are many ways to help patients with dental anxiety management, but one of the best ways is to start with your office design. Soothing dental office design can bring a sense of calm to patients from the time they walk in your front door and throughout their appointment.

Read on for great ways to help ensure your patients are as comfortable as possible in your office.

Calming Interior Design

Good interior design takes a lot of factors into account, but for it to be calming to patients it needs to be both comfortable and practical. Here are a few spaces to think through as you design or redesign your space:

Waiting Room Seating

The first place your patients will most likely see is your waiting room, so you want colors to be inviting as well as soothing.

Most people do not enjoy sitting next to strangers in uncomfortable seats. Instead, consider providing multiple forms of seating options in small arrangements. You could provide a small table with chairs for those who might need to work while they wait. And some soft, comfortable chairs in groupings around the rest of your waiting room.

Good Air Flow

Keeping your dental office at a comfortable temperature can also be an important part of helping patients feel at ease. The World Health Organization conducted research that found the optimum temperature for a dental clinic is between 64 and 69 degrees.

Spaces for Children

Calming dental clinic design will also include a space for children that includes space for them to sit and activities to keep them busy. This will help keep their minds busy, especially if they are the patient, and will also help to ease the burden of the adult who is with them at the appointment.

Dental Anxiety Management

Outside of dental architecture and interior design, there are other ways to help your office be a calming place for your patients. Finding ways to connect with your patients throughout their visit can help reduce patient stress.

Keep Patients Informed

One of the most stressful parts of any dental visit is waiting. Reducing wait times is not always possible, so the next best thing is to notify patients when there may be a long wait than usual. Giving updates during a wait is a kindness and a courtesy as well, and can greatly reduce the anxiety that might have increased due to a prolonged wait.

Offer Amenities

Offering bottles of water or cups of coffee might not be something your patients are used to seeing in your dental office, but it may go a long way in offering a feeling of comfort. For a small cost, amenities like these can make your patients feel valued and welcomed.

Is It Time to Turn Your Dental Office Into a Soothing Space?

If your dental office design needs an update now is a great time to start brainstorming ideas on how you create a space your patients want to return to.

Turning your waiting room into a space that feels welcoming and helps with dental anxiety management is not as hard as it might sound. Contact us today so we can help you achieve your goals.