Unconventional methods

[kitkat]

Hi Everyone,

So we have talked about the NuCalm system before and I started to wonder about what other anti-anxiety methods exist in dental offices that I have never heard of. With that said, I thought it would be fun to dedicate a thread to unconventional anti-anxiety techniques just to compare what's out there no matter how silly or genius they are. I have come across two offices so far who have caught my attention. The first is a dentist who brings in their lap dog to sit with patients during procedures and another is a German female dentist who wears skimpy "dirndl" dresses to work to distract her patients LOL. Check out the links and share your thoughts. Are there any unconventional methods you have seen or heard of that dentists use? Share them here!

[California dentist uses dog to calm nervous patients - broken link removed]

[German dentist wears skimpy dresses to calm patients - broken link removed]

[Sexy dentist dresses calm patients - broken link removed]

Kitkat

 

[RP]

Interesting- thanks for posting. Pet therapy is well proven to aid in healing and decreasing anxiety- but during a procedure? I'd like to hear some infection control practitioners weigh in on the dog thing during a root canal or even a cleaning where the gum is bleeding. There is a proven link to MRSA and dogs as a carrier to their humans and its becoming more prevalent..

And The German lady- I wonder how many female patients she lost? Especially for a phobic who is embarrassed by their teeth- how much more intimidating can it get.

As a nurse, well we have been fighting the little white dress and stockings image for a long time- So much for professionalism.

rp

 

[kitkat]

Interesting- thanks for posting. Pet therapy is well proven to aid in healing and decreasing anxiety- but during a procedure? I'd like to hear some infection control practitioners weigh in on the dog thing during a root canal or even a cleaning where the gum is bleeding. There is a proven link to MRSA and dogs as a carrier to their humans and its becoming more prevalent..

And The German lady- I wonder how many female patients she lost? Especially for a phobic who is embarrassed by their teeth- how much more intimidating can it get.

As a nurse, well we have been fighting the little white dress and stockings image for a long time- So much for professionalism.

rp

My thoughts exactly! I also wonder how many married women have conflicts with their husbands going to that German dentist! haha

 

[Clem]

I spent a year in Germany (wonderful) being VERY careful not to bite on anything that might break a tooth/filling, etc. The reason? Partly the Marathon Man (OK, even I know that's not real, but it's a powerful image), partly because the Germans are fond of advertising their business with neon signs in their windows, which are most often on the second floor above a store of some kind. The image they choose is an outline of a tooth, which, I guess, is fine, but the tooth is almost always red--symbolizing, to me, an inflamed, painful tooth. Plus, I had no idea whether they really used any anesthetic, and I was pretty sure they DIDN'T use nitrous, AND my German was not that good then. j Consider that any gap in communication between English speakers is bad, then consider how bad it might be between English and German. Nope, I stayed far, far away from those guys/gals.

The costume thing is just insulting.

 

[brit]

I spent a year in Germany (wonderful) being VERY careful not to bite on anything that might break a tooth/filling, etc. The reason? Partly the Marathon Man (OK, even I know that's not real, but it's a powerful image), partly because the Germans are fond of advertising their business with neon signs in their windows, which are most often on the second floor above a store of some kind. The image they choose is an outline of a tooth, which, I guess, is fine, but the tooth is almost always red--symbolizing, to me, an inflamed, painful tooth. Plus, I had no idea whether they really used any anesthetic, and I was pretty sure they DIDN'T use nitrous, AND my German was not that good then. j Consider that any gap in communication between English speakers is bad, then consider how bad it might be between English and German. Nope, I stayed far, far away from those guys/gals.

The costume thing is just insulting.

Try reading 'Local anaesthetic' by Gunther Grass...it is set in the 1960s and flashes back to wartime. It shows the dentist in a reasonable light (always anaesthetic involved) so that'll be why it wasn't made into a film unlike the Tin Drum lol. It would go against the grain to depict dentists as 'not evil' in a film.
Depending where you were living, you may nevertheless have been wise to stay away lol...as ever the quality of the experience would depend on the individual dentist.

 

[Clem]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find it.

 

[brit]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find it.

The version I had had a picture of a syringe on the front cover so it may not be your book of choice lol.