What makes you calmer when you go take your kids to the dentist? According to the CDC, about 86% of children have at least one dental visit per year.

Children aren't always the easiest of patients, and many of them have a fear of medical areas. What sort of dental designs can you use to help not only keep children calm, but to make them enjoy their trip to the dentist?

The right pediatric dental office design can help to create some of the best kid-friendly dental spaces. If you're curious about pediatric dental designs, read on for a quick overview.

Fun Waiting Areas

One of the first things you should look at for your dental designs is what your waiting and reception area is like. Children are notoriously difficult to keep entertained, making even short waits feel obnoxious for them.

That's particularly bad if they're anxious or afraid of the dentist. Every minute they're sitting in a stark, boring reception room is more time for their anxiety to build. According to the National Institutes of Health, roughly half of all children between 7 and 11 have dental fear.

Counter this by giving them a waiting area that's enjoyable for them to wait in. Add in a play area with toys, books, building blocks, and a television playing popular shows. Also, make sure to keep the area clean!

Functional Decor

Creative pediatric dental decor is another great way to spruce up your practice. Our favorite is to pick a theme for your practice and design around that.

For example, you may choose a wildlife or jungle theme. Your sitting area can then incorporate plenty of indoor plants, grassy decor, and paintings and wall art that focuses on wildlife.

You can also use decorative brushing mirrors. These cartoonish mirrors usually feature large grinning characters as a mirror frame. They're fun for kids to use, encourage brushing, and add functional decor as a mirror.

Offer Technology

Many dentists have begun to incorporate the "embrace distractions" design philosophy for kid-friendly dental spaces. With this philosophy, you encourage distractions for children so they're less worried about their appointments.

A technology station in your waiting room could provide simple games, kid-friendly programs, or even arcade machines. Do your best to make sure you don't make something so loud that other patients are annoyed.

You also can go beyond technology and add more "analog" distractions. Bookshelves, coloring books, and even small areas to explore are all good choices. Do your best to make sure you're fitting your design theme for these implementations.

Embracing Dental Designs

Finding the right dental designs may take some trial and error. Begin with the theme you want your practice based around and then work from there. Do your best to make children comfortable and happy to assuage their fear of the dentist.

At Arminco Inc., we've proudly grown over three decades from a family company to the premier medical design firm. We offer services to design, create, and furnish your medical practice, from simple sofas to a complete renovation. Browse our services to see if we offer what you need to flourish.