The New Dental Drill

The scraping. The drilling. The capping. The filling. Who wouldn't be nervous?

But local dental offices have found a way to make visits less stressful for patients of all ages.

"You'd be surprised," says Angel Petzoldt, office manager at B.L. Ogborn DDS Inc in Cape Girardeau. "We have just about as many adults that are as afraid as children."

When that happens, an assistant comes out and they try to relax the patient by explaining what their procedure will entail, what the patient can expect and so on. Petzoldt said, "You know, the adults will watch TV while they wait or read the paper. The kids are a little easier to keep occupied. We have coloring books, a VCR and a few movies for them to watch."

Beth Riddle, office manager for Dr. Gary Riddle in Scott City, says their practice offers patients a portable Sirius satellite radio and headphones. "They can listen to whatever music or other programming they want while they wait for the doctor," says Riddle.

Innovative Orthodontics in Cape Girardeau offers a refreshment area on a buffet table with coffee, juice and other healthy snacks.

"I feel like it makes for a better environment and better customer service," office manager Sonya Bock said. "Then there is our parent waiting room with a play area for smaller children. There's a Sega Genesis for them to play on a flat screen TV." A second patient area features a Play Station 2.

The Brace Place in Cape Girardeau has an adult waiting room and a completely separate one for children.

"Kids love that one," office manager Kim Porter said. "That's where our gaming area is where kids can play X-Box on a wall-sized TV. That way, the kids get to unwind before they go back and see the doctor."

(Source: www.yourdentistryguide.com)