A lot of people don’t like going to the dentist. And they postpone their check-ups because of that fear, which results in more cavities and more intensive treatments. There are lots of things we can do to make them feel more relaxed, like a modern and colourful design in the dental office, putting on some music or even glasses that project soothing images. But let’s focus on 2 other things we sometimes forget: the importance of listening and providing comfort. In a nutshel: communication in the dental chair. 

Do you read your patients’ body language? What people say is only a small fraction of how they communicate. Communication involves far more than words: it’s a physical thing. Therefore being and feeling comfortable are so important in dentistry, and why the dental chair has such a vital role in successful communication with patients.

Body language

Look for verbal, behavioural, and somatic signs of anxiety. Verbal signs include statements like, “I usually need extra anaesthesia” and “I don’t like going to the dentist.” Behavioural signs can include jumping in the chair as the back is lowered, gripping armrests, and sitting with legs and arms crossed. Watch for somatic signs of anxiety, such as increased heart rate, sweating, irregular breathing, and dilated pupils.

 Are You Listening?

When you talk to people, how much of what they say are you really taking in? Active listening is about really making sense of what the speaker is trying to get across. Therefore having your patients as calm as possible from the outset is a good idea: the calmer they are, the greater the chance of a good rapport, and of them having a concentrated mindset, more open to what you are saying to them.

You are preparing the ground here, for successful treatment. Listen to what the patient is saying but also how it is being said. What is the tone of their voice and facial expression, and what kind of body language are they using? You will get lots of non-verbal clues from your patients as to how they are feeling.

How Should You Act?

Listen and paraphrase: if a patient expresses a fear or concern, address it in the same kind of language. Don’t appear too uptight, but nor too casual: you are an authority figure, but a friendly one. Your patients need to be able to trust you.  Think about the mannerisms you should, and shouldn’t, use. Take your time speaking, or speak at the same pace as your listener. Maintain eye contact, use a lower tone of voice and sit or stand with an open posture.

The Role of the Dental Chair

The dental chair can be a patient’s focal point for fear and anxiety; it may be the physical manifestation of their fears about visiting the dentist. For the patient the chair symbolises discomfort, for the dentist it is an essential, operational tool. From the patient’s perspective then, the answer to discomfort must be, naturally, comfort. If the preliminaries are all about setting the patient’s mind at ease using communication skills and reading their mood and feelings through body language and active listening, then the dental chair must represent the logical culmination of this scene-setting. Modern dental chairs are made for optimum patient comfort, combined with state-of-the art operability. While integrating multimedia and x-ray and diagnosis devices, they also incorporate enhanced comfort elements such as memory foam upholstery. The resultant multitude of ergonomic patient chair design concepts in the marketplace can make purchasing chairs a confusing and frustrating endeavour.

It is important to understand and accept that “appearance does have an impact”. The dental chair is probably the first thing that patients notice when they enter your operatory. And this visual can definitely have an impact on the attitude of the patient towards dental treatment, as people generally develop initial reactions and judgments with their eyes. An older looking dental chair could leave the patient wondering if they made the wrong choice walking into the clinic whereas the modern and sleek design of a high-tech new dental chair, generally has a more positive impact on the acceptance to and attitude towards dental treatment and possibly increase the patient’s confidence that they picked the right guy for the job.

Relaxed patients, happy patients

Ergonomics offered by the dental chair must be given great importance while choosing one. A patient that is not comfortable in the chair, especially during longer treatments, will not be completely at ease. And for elderly patients and people struggling with getting into the chair, might need help from the assistant or the dentist to get in or out. Our Ancar range S3 and S5 are equipped with a knee-break chair that facilitates getting in and out of the chair. It also allows the dentist or assistant to talk to them and calm them down before treatment while they are sitting in a natural sitting position.

What about you?

It’s the place where the dentist and the assistant spend at least 8 or more hours in a day. Discomfort of the lowest intensity, if applied for a long period of time can prove to be detrimental to the body. This can have a considerable impact on the health and productivity of the practitioner while adversely affecting the quality of dental treatment as well. Bad ergonomics for a long duration, especially when repetitive, can affect the duration of the dentist’s career as well. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the right dental unit for you and your team. Take a look at the wide Ancar range and choose the type of delivery unit, patient chair, model you like best. You can try them in the show rooms of the official distributor near you. Click here to see where they are.