What is the Perfect Gift for an Anxious Dental Patient?

The wonderful gift of giving, it can be so fulfilling, not only for you but for a dental patient as well. Now we’re not suggesting a brand-new Lamborghini because, we can’t all be Oprah, though that would possibly ease anyone’s anxiety. The perfect gift would have to fit your patient’s needs, in this case it would be to solve their anxiety but where does their anxiety stem from exactly?
 In many cases this anxiety arises from the humble but effective dental drill. Maybe not the drill itself but the high-pitched sound it emits. Many times, this unease will be presented in older patients who have past dental history in which pain management wasn’t as efficient as it is today. This troublesome memory can carry over to every dental appointment they have in the future and make it difficult for that person to book a much-needed appointment or follow through with a set visit. Some patients simply don’t like the noise and it can make them extremely nervous and anxious. So now that we know the problem what is the solution? Dental Earplugs.

    Dental earplugs, also known as dental hearing protection are specially designed earplugs created to not only block out the high-pitched sound but also doubles as hearing protection. A well made dental earplug will primarily function in three ways: converting the pitch of the dental drill to a low emitting decibel which is comparable to a muffled sound in the background, secondly the earplug will at the same time allow the wearer to hear the voice of the dentist which is great when the dentist needs to deliver a direction like “please lift your chin” or to ask how you’re doing, thirdly the earplug functions as protection from hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to loud sounds and noises can cause permanent hearing loss (Sensorineural Hearing Loss).

    In some cases, the patient may not have had past dental trauma associated with the drill but is merely nervous of the sound. The high-speed dental drill emanates sounds up to 100 decibels, that is equivalent to standing by a passing motorcycle. That doesn’t sound too bad until you compare that to hearing that motorcycle pass by for 30 minutes which is the average time of a dental appointment (some are more or less depending upon the procedure). The normal range of sound among people having a conversation is 50 decibels. Starting at 80 decibels and up, exposure to that sound can cause hearing loss over time.

    Dentist Earplugs could be the perfect gift for that anxious patient, allowing them to be more at ease during the visit and leaving more confident in managing their anxiety associated with the dental office. Dental Earplugs are a cost-effective option that can be used over and over. If you have a dental office that provides questionnaires to new patient’s regarding their level of anxiety, this could be a good opportunity to recommend dental earplugs. You could possibly know a friend or family member who has been avoiding the dental office and maybe this product could be the answer.