How to Create a Dental Design Strategy That Enhances Patient Experience

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Functionality in Balance
Comfortable Atmosphere with Attention to Ergonomic Details
Diminish DIY and Rely on Design Expertise
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A warm fireplace, natural lighting, and cozy amenities might not be the first thing you think of when you imagine a dental practice layout but maybe they should be. Those are only a small sampling of stand-out dental design that can re-define your practice atmosphere.

The innovative design features should stop at the front door either. In fact, the overall patient experience relies on an intentional design strategy throughout your entire dental facility.

What Does Patient Experience Mean?

Colin Shaw, founder of Beyond Philosophy, a global customer experience consulting company, defines patient experience.

”A patient experience is an interaction between an organization and a patient as perceived through a patient’s conscious and subconscious mind. It is a blend of an organization’s rational performance, the senses stimulated, and emotions evoked and intuitively measured against the patient’s expectations across all moments of contact.” ^[1]

That definition might feel like a heavy burden to place on your dental practice design strategy. Even so, outstanding design must (as Shaw states):

Stimulate
Evoke emotion
Align with a patient’s entire experience

Think of dental design as appealing to your patient’s eyes and their mind. The following design-think encourages you to strategize fresh ideas around a balance of aesthetics (eye-appeal) and feel (emotional-appeal).

HOW TO CREATE A DENTAL DESIGN STRATEGY THAT CONSISTENTLY CREATES AN OUTSTANDING PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Functionality in Balance

Dental design that has visual and emotional appeal serves your patients and your team. The better your team is able to navigate your layout the more efficient and engaging they will be.

Patients might not recognize this particular type of functionality as much as your staff will. But your patient’s journey from curb to treatment and back requires an equal amount of balanced functionality and efficiency.

Give attention to architectural layout. Space management that plans walking distance from parking lot to front door, from reception area to treatment area, etc. will impact patient experience.
Be ergonomically minded. Style is important as long as it allows for comfort (and reducing patient anxiety).
Maximize floor space with minimalist appeal. Whatever occupies your space(s) make sure it’s useful and doesn’t impede traffic flow or staff efficiency.

Comfortable Atmosphere with Attention to Ergonomic Details

Again, ergonomics are a major dental design detail – especially as they relate to your team(s). They will be able to deliver an even stronger patient experience if they’re ergonomically equipped.

Design plays a major role in creating a comfortable patient experience that’s supported by your team’s health and comfort. As you know, the daily workflows throughout your practice can take a toll on your body and your team member’s too.

Stage your clinical areas with efficiency and ergonomics in mind. Design equipment and instrument access points to promote healthy movement and reach.
Provide design features that enhance your front-desk team’s patient contact points and routine task performance.
Utilize design amenities that enhance patient comfort, convenience, and treatment ease.

Diminish DIY and Rely on Design Expertise

Dental design strategy has two facets: clinical expertise and aesthetic expertise. The clinical aspect is your territory while design belongs to aesthetic knowledge.

It’s essential to blend both without relying too heavily on a boot-strapped, DIY approach. The cost savings of keeping design planning in-house isn’t worth the loss of expert perspective.

Expert designers are skilled at maximizing your unique design thumbprint. They can see past the familiar surroundings and capture the vibe you envision for your patient experience.
Expert designers have the tools and technology to align effective design features with your clinical protocols.
Expert designers have cost-saving access to vendors. Their savings will often surpass your ability to save on a DIY strategy.
Expert designers do the “heavy-lifting” while you and your team stay focused on your “lane” of patient care.

Dental design requires intentional effort. Your desired patient experience deserves a fresh set of eyes as much or more than a fresh-coat-of-paint.

Check out these design-themed resources to upgrade or renew your patient experience…and your office environment:

6 Dental Office Images That Show How Intentional Design Impacts Patient Experience

3 Steps to Transform Your Office Decor from Mundane to Magical

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Create a Memorable Patient Experience Through Dental Office Interior Design and Decor

Utilize Dental Design Expertise for Outstanding Patient Experience

You’ll stand out from other service providers when you provide a unique dental experience that’s influenced by fresh dental design.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive dental care experiences

Maintain your edge in the crowded dental service space. Attention to design details can transform your environment and the overall patient experience.

Create “buzz” in the community you serve
Accelerate patient referrals
Generate positive online reviews

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

^[1]7 Tips Designing Your Dental Practice

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5 Ways to Improve Pediatric Patient Experience in Your Medical Clinic

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1. Make it Personal
2. Familiarize Them with Your Tools and Equipment
3. Create Trust with Step-by-step Communication
4. Feature Child-friendly Themes and Distractions
5. Think Like a Counsellor
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Children aren’t much different from adults in their hopes for experiences — both new and familiar. They seek comfort and a feeling of safety in most situations. Medical care is no exception. More reason than ever to improve the pediatric patient experience in your clinic.

Office environments, when designed with intention, can help to ease any fear, anxiety, or distrust of doctors a child may bring to an appointment. This helps to make sometimes difficult to treat patients more relaxed and easier to work with.

What are the most common barriers against improving pediatric patient experience?

Two challenges clinic’s must address with their patient experience:

Behavior
Fear

How pediatric patients act within your clinic can range from uncooperative in moments of discomfort, to a bad day, to consistently tough to deal with. This is often because fear and anxiety accompany many pediatric patients when it comes to appointments. These things are not always so much about your medical clinic, or even bedside manner, as they are about the overall anticipated experience, their previous experiences, and their perception of the environment.

Every time you meet these challenges with a heightened sensitivity to their experience, combined with a pediatric-centric environment, your clinic will grow — becoming a top tier provider in the minds of patients and parents. But how do you get there?

FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE PEDIATRIC PATIENT EXPERIENCE IN YOUR CLINIC

1. Make it Personal

Young patients come to your clinic thinking about pinching, prodding, and often needles (a top trigger of fear). While none of those anticipations are completely inaccurate, there’s a lot more to their overall health than those brief moments of discomfort.

You can put them at ease by redirecting their attention away from their reason for being there during the first few minutes of your appointment with them.

Notice something about them and start your conversation/relationship there (e.g. shoes, color or type of clothing, etc).
Make the child comfortable by engaging with their parent or whoever accompanied them to the appointment and they will follow their guardian’s lead.

Essentially, shift the focus to their interests first and build rapport as a person they know. The result of this is likely to be a happier, and more compliant, young patient.

2. Familiarize Them with Your Tools and Equipment

Imagine what all the equipment in your treatment room looks like to a child. Otoscopes, swabs, and sphygmomanometers are often scary for an adult let alone a child, so it’s no wonder children have some hesitancy too.

Take a few minutes to introduce your young patients to the specific tools and technology you’ll be using for their appointment. Demonstrate it on yourself or on their parent first. Removing the unknown will help them to relax and make the process seem more normal.

Give your equipment “fun” names that will help lighten the mood before use.
Allow your patients to ask questions about a particular tool or technology.

3. Create Trust with Step-by-step Communication

Clearly explaining what you intend to do before you do it can help you earn trust from your pediatric patients. Think of it like a “show-and-tell” session at school.

Demonstrate to them (within reason based on their age and the procedure) what each tool does. Let them see the ear scope, the stethoscope, etc.
“Tell” them what’s about to happen next using friendly, non-threatening language.

4. Feature Child-friendly Themes and Distractions

A kid-centric environment sets the tone from when a family first arrives to when they get ready to leave. Paying special attention to details such as theming and hands-on amenities will pay dividends in keeping patients and families relaxed throughout their time in your clinic.

Consider theming your office in friendly, light-hearted, child-centric decor.
Create an environment that provides kids and families with a memorable experience at each appointment with exterior decor.
Offer kid-friendly programming in your reception area.

Update your waiting area with kid-friendly technology. Games, images, streaming video, etc. help them relax and feel at home in your reception area.

Don’t want to disturb other adult patients? Utilize low-tech options like coloring sheets, books, and kid’s magazines.

5. Think Like a Counsellor

Your practice might be medicine, but learning some behavior-management skills can help you handle challenging situations and create positive outcomes.

Good communication skills, patience, and some good old-fashioned adult figure presence can improve how your patients react.

Speak with your pediatric patients eye-to-eye. Get on their level and speak in ways that they can understand.
Use stories, a friendly tone, and any other ways to make your communication more kid-friendly. This helps your patients feel comfortable and at ease.
Ask about their life, their interests, sports, school, etc.

In conclusion, enhancing the pediatric patient experience in your clinic is not just a noble endeavor but a necessary one. Children, like adults, seek comfort and reassurance, and by addressing the barriers of behavior and fear, your clinic can become a top-tier provider in the eyes of both patients and parents. Implementing the five strategies outlined above – making it personal, familiarizing them with your tools, creating trust through step-by-step communication, incorporating child-friendly themes and distractions, and thinking like a counselor – can transform the way young patients perceive medical appointments. By creating a welcoming and supportive environment, you not only ease their anxiety but also build lasting relationships built on trust and compassion. Ultimately, investing in the well-being and comfort of pediatric patients will not only improve their experience but also contribute to their overall health and well-being.

IMPROVE YOUR PEDIATRIC PATIENT EXPERIENCE BY CREATING AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT

Outstanding patient experience for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and environment. In essence, it’s an investment decision.

Invest in Your Patients

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. The environment that you create directly helps patients have a more positive experience, encouraging them to think positively of medicine for years to come.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation.
Prime patients and families for their appointments.
Create positive health care experiences.

Invest in Your Business

The medical space is more crowded than ever. Attention to details in your space can create an environment that sets you apart — something more important than ever with pediatric patients.

Generate interest in your community
Increase patient referrals
Incite positive reviews online

Interested to learn more? Check out these related resources for upgrading, renewing, and improving patient experience:

What is Patient Experience and Why Does It Matter?

How Theming Creates the Ultimate Brand for Your Business

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

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6 Dental Offices That Show How Design Impacts Patients

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Clinical and procedural innovations aren’t the only changes impacting the dental patient experience. Browsing dental office images shows us that design and ergonomic innovation is also enhancing how patients respond to dentistry.

Design standards can begin to blend into the “woodwork” – so to speak. What was once an innovative or stylish tweak to an otherwise sterile, clinical environment might now go unnoticed. Familiarity creates a need for freshness.

Dental office design has taken on a more “high-touch,” “human” feel. Available dental office images or a relevant search will verify that decor and design are a strong influence on the overall patient experience.

SIX DENTAL OFFICE IMAGES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE POWER OF DESIGN ON PATIENT EXPERIENCE

1. Bright, Colorful, and Illuminating Dental Offices

Paint is a default fix for transforming a space. That said, it’s essential to go with colors that not only “pop” but also create a mood general feel.

Brightness with bold accents remains a trend leader. Seek colors that invigorate and match your practice theme.

Lighting and the fixtures that frame it are also an essential mood-setter. Natural lighting that brings the outdoors inside your reception and clinical areas can lift an otherwise sterile feeling environment.

2. Entertaining, Engaging, and Themed Dental Offices

A themed dental office design helps relax patients. There’s an appeal for children, families, and adults when they are drawn into your space via entertaining elements.

Entertainment can be framed in a variety of ways.

A themed movie area/room.
Television monitors above treatment room chairs.
Interactive decor and gaming areas.

Engagement and theming also personalizes your dental office environment.

Highlight local artists and their artwork (e.g. paintings, ceramic designs, etc).
Feature artwork from local or area students.
Build out your design around common or popular themes that are fun, child/family-centric, and inviting.

3. Open and Minimalist Dental Offices

An open treatment area helps create psychological “air” for patients. This stands in contrast to the traditional, closed-off, isolated layout.

Minimal design features allow for lighting enhancements and help prevent the space from feeling closed in. Openness allows for breathing room so patients feel more in common with the environment.

4. Comfortable, Relaxed, and Homey Dental Offices

Rows of chairs and stacks of magazines on reception area tables have been a design standard for years. Contrast that with carefully spaced comfortable chairs, a warm fireplace, flat screen tv monitors, a pub-table workspace, and self-serve amenities.

Patients who feel at home are more likely to stay loyal and refer others.

5. Posh, Unique, and Trendy Dental Offices

Glam or posh design doesn’t have to feel stuffy or uncomfortable. It’s more about creating an appeal that perhaps is more suited to your upscale patient base.

Urban or trendy suburban dental offices can attract and retain patients with a design that represents the demographic you serve.

A unique design footprint helps distinguish your dental office from the templated, every-practice look and feel. Again, theming, colors, and decor that is appropriate to your specific demographic will help enhance the patient experience for your unique practice culture.

6. Kid and Family-friendly Dental Offices

Anxiety in children is a common reason for designing around a theme. Kid-friendly theming helps pediatric patients relax before, during, and after their appointment(s).

A child-centric environment also helps parents/adults feel supported in their child’s dental care. Themed amenities create positive anticipation ahead of each dental visit.

These dental office images are a cross-section of intentional design strategies. The essence of each is that they appeal to your particular dental niche and demographic – creating an engaging, long-term patient experience.

Upgrade your dental office design and improve your patient experience.

Take your patient care and engagement to new levels. You’ll stand out from other service providers when you provide a unique dental experience that’s influenced by your design choices.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive dental care experiences

Maintain your edge in the crowded dental service space. Attention to design details can transform your environment and the overall patient experience.

Create “buzz” in the community you serve
Accelerate patient referrals
Generate positive online reviews

Check out these design-themed resources to upgrade or renew your patient experience:

How to Create a Unique Dental Experience in 2021 (and Beyond)

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Case Study – Adding Theming to Increase Profitability and Patient Satisfaction

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

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What is the Future of Pediatric Medical Office Design?

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Positive Patient and Family Engagement Features Throughout the Facility
Family-centric Design That Encourages Partnership in Care
Scaled Design Layout That Is Easily and Comfortably Navigated
Enhance Standard of Care Essentials Through Design
Evaluate Your Design Around the Healing Results Desired for Each Patient Experience
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Design inspiration is about more than creativity. That’s especially true for the future of pediatric medical office design.

Young patients and their families require design considerations that create:

Confidence in the care environment.
Playfulness that engages their emotions.
Hope for positive outcomes.

Those elements function best when they work together in a flexible, high-performance environment. That said, the pediatric patient experience relies on medical care excellence, technology, and interactive patient engagement for comforting care desired by children and families.

What’s Driving the Future of Pediatric Medical Office Design?

Pediatric patients are presenting with increasingly complex care cases. Teams with multidisciplinary care plans are equipped to treat young patients these days.

Those realities are impacting how the pediatric care environment is designed. Spaces are required to adapt for the sake of the pediatric patient care protocols, their families, and the teams who treat them.

It makes sense also that spaces are being designed to accommodate a cross-section of specialists in one location. This keeps the family’s care accessible without emotionally upsetting delays.

Think about it this way:

Waiting rooms that provide positive distractions.
Patient flow throughout the facility that reduces stress on parents and children.

A cozy waiting area.

A fun way to create wayfinding for children.

Basically, intentional design adapts to the emotional journey that the need for care creates.

WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE PEDIATRIC MEDICAL OFFICE DESIGN LOOKS LIKE

Growing pediatric practices share some common best-practice design benefits. These are somewhat fundamental to how you can intentionally design or re-design your practice.

Positive Patient and Family Engagement Features Throughout the Facility

The idea of distraction is more about creating a relaxing, non-aversive response the moment a child/family arrives. It involves maximizing the availability of age-appropriate experiences and activities.

Keep in mind that some pediatric patients range from very young (toddlers and preschoolers) to elementary-aged children to teenagers. Make sure your design encompasses each age range or demographic or that it provides spaces that would appeal accordingly.

Hands-on bead tables, play boards like KeeBees, and slides are great ways to keep younger patients occupied and entertained.

Form and function design can be tailored to the varying scope of children and families served.

Interactive, tactile walls, playrooms, and spaces dedicated to young patients and their parent(s)/family members.
High-tech spaces with age-appropriate technology for teenagers.
Colors and textures that create a relaxing, at-home feel.

Family-centric Design That Encourages Partnership in Care

Caregiver identities can vary. Whoever arrives at your facility the core value should be optimum care for the child/children.

Your design can, and should, also support the supportive caregiver role. Space can be created to highlight and practically nurture this vital adult-provider relationship on behalf of pediatric patients.

Long-term care provisions can include family sleeping pods, kitchenettes, laundry facilities, and more.
Onsite technology capable zones can assist short- and long-term patient families with remote working, schooling, or other routine functions.

The common denominator of your family-centric design is comfort and familiarity. Your attention to detail can help families and their child/children adapt to the upheaval that a medical appointment or a required stay can produce.

Scaled Design Layout That Is Easily and Comfortably Navigated

Think of this as an emotionally sensitive “traffic-flow” feature. In some ways, it’s more than the traditional, linear layout you might associate with a hotel – a long interior hallway of exam, treatment, or inpatient rooms.

A useful (and better) image is that of a “neighborhood.” Each “block” or “zone” has its own unique identity appropriate to the patient’s age, etc. This idea helps reduce the stress associated with the common, traditional layout.

Jungle and Undersea themed murals installed on different floors of a children’s hospital.

Via Cory Klein Photography – Different colors are used to represent different wards.

Patients, parents, and caregivers feel more at home physically and emotionally. Plus, any built-in theming provides a positive distraction that also inspires trust and a sense of calm.

Enhance Standard of Care Essentials Through Design

Care that’s efficient, safe, and secure is expected. Even so, these essentials must be prioritized throughout the design process.

The healing environment mindset helps guide design strategies that enhance patient safety, security, and care efficiency.

Waiting rooms, treatment rooms, and follow-up care areas can be designed to reduce provider stress for safer, more predictable care outcomes.
Filter all design features through a safety-security grid that considers all points of contact, infection-prevention and control, and provider/team workflows.

And speaking of the previously mentioned “healing environment”…

Evaluate Your Design Around the Healing Results Desired for Each Patient Experience

Design should embrace the human element. Keep this related thought in mind:

”Understand the human impact of design. Consider daylighting, noise control and acoustics, air quality, privacy, social support and positive distractions in designing a healing environment.” ^[1]

This insight affirms the idea that the patient space can be compartmentalized by design.

Keep treatment space separate physically (and emotionally) from inpatient spaces.
Design with special needs in mind including those with autism and who require low or significantly reduced stimulation.
Provide connection to nature when possible. Outdoor venues can be included in your design for specific therapies and/or to create a healing, calming, stress-free environment to support care.

Natural views help patients feel calm.

These design prompts are only the beginning of what the future of pediatric medical practice design could include. Let your design plans be shaped by these or use them as seeds to grow your layout.

Create an environment that embraces the future of pediatric medical office design.

Check out these related resources to upgrade or renew your patient experience:

New Children’s Hospital Gets a Little IDS Magic

Case Study – Adding Theming to Increase Profitability and Patient Satisfaction

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Create a Memorable Patient Experience Through Dental Office Interior Design and Decor

An outstanding patient experience for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and intentionally designed environment.

Reduce patient/family/caregiver anxiety and enhance their relaxation through age-appropriate design features
Prime patients/families for their appointments, procedures, follow-up, and potential stays
Create positive experiences for outpatient and inpatient care

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your pediatric medical office to embrace the future of design effectiveness.

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How to Help Your Pediatric Patients Overcome Their Fear of the Dentist

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Kids have big imaginations. Unfortunately, this big imagination can imagine scenarios that create fear and anxiety. That reality should mean creating a priority to help your pediatric patients overcome their fear of the dentist. But why?

For the Sake of Their Health

It’s common to avoid those things that create stress and fear. In some instances, this is a healthy reaction. Even so, in the case of dental anxiety or fear of the dentist, avoidance can produce unhealthy outcomes. The results can lead to a short- and long -term impact on a child’s oral health.

Delayed or cancelled dental appointments or treatment produce a downward spiral. Dental pain, general health problems, increased anxiety, and more costly or complex dental treatment can be traced to dental fear that’s not confronted and overcome.

Why Kids Fear the Dentist

First of all, dental fear is a common experience. In fact, it’s estimated that 20% of school age children fear visiting the dentist.

The general issue of dental phobia is categorized among other diagnosed phobias. But the big question is why?

Dental anxiety can be triggered by a number of experiences including:

A previous traumatic experience
A fear of needles
A conditional response promoted by other family members

It’s essential to a child’s oral and general health that their fear of the dentist be sourced and solved. There are promising and practical steps to help kids feel at ease, comfortable, and confident during a visit to the dentist.

HOW TO HELP KIDS OVERCOME THEIR FEAR OF THE DENTIST

Encourage Parents to Model a Healthy Relationship with Dentistry

Parents and the significant adults in a child’s life set the tone for how a child interacts with others. Role modeling can and should include health related encounters like dentistry.

Any talk or response of fear will naturally be picked up by a child. Likewise, positive language and experiences will be associated as well.

Parents can lead the way by:

Allowing their child/children to accompany them to a dental appointment (e.g. a routine teeth cleaning).
Encouraging them to ask questions about what the dentist is doing during an appointment
Sharing how their teeth feel after a cleaning, procedure, etc.
Modeling daily oral hygiene and asking their child/children to join them while brushing and flossing.

Educate Them Early and Often About Dentistry

Early adopters of dentistry will be less likely to experience extended bouts of dental anxiety. Keep in mind that they might not be completely fearless, but they will be more comfortable in the dental environment.

Also consider adding some age-level educational resources to help acquaint kids with what to expect when visiting the dentist. Coloring books, associative games, and youth-oriented books will help educate them about dental appointments, routine procedures, and generally how to care for their developing teeth.

Engage Their Curiosity with a Preliminary Office Visit

Their first visit to the dentist doesn’t have to involve an examination. Why not allow them to experience a somewhat “hands-on,” get-acquainted tour of the dental office?

The environment will be less intimidating if they can walk around, smell the aromas, see the instruments, sit in a chair, etc. A child will begin to make a positive association with dentistry the more they’re exposed to the environment prior to an actual dental appointment.

Equip Them with Positive Vibes, Proactive Habits, and Rewarding Outcomes

Words matter. And when speaking about dentistry it’s vital to choose a positive, inviting tone.

Equally so, good habits are formed when actions are positive instead of negative. Saying, “you have to brush your teeth…” carries the tone that it’s a burden to do so. Instead, make a positive association with dental care by referring to brushing and flossing as a natural part of the daily health routine.

And it can help matters to provide some incentive for being courageous about a dental visit. Find some reasonable motivation and offer it as a “reward” for a child’s positive embrace of a dental appointment.

Create a Calming Environment and You’ll See a Decrease in Fear of the Dentist and an Increase in a Positive Perception of Dentistry

An outstanding patient experience for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and environment. Check out these related resources for upgrading, renewing, and providing anxiety-free dental visits:

6 Calming Strategies for Kids Nervous About Healthcare Appointments

Download Our White Paper: Alleviating Patient Anxiety Through Office Theming

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you create can help you achieve a better patient experience.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive dental care experiences

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office into an anxiety-free patient experience.

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How to Create a Unique Dental Experience in 2021 (and Beyond)

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Uniqueness gets attention. When that uniqueness is intentionally designed to suit your goals, it produces the right kind of attention. That’s why it’s important to consider how to use design to create a one-of-a-kind dental experience for your patients and families.

Your dental practice faces competition so distinguishing yourself from other dental professionals is important. Doing that can and should involve a unique dental experience – including certain features:

Your facility’s physical environment
Your services
Your patient experience around your services.

Innovation at each of those levels helps you create and sustain the brand of atmosphere you desire for your patients. Uniqueness at every level will help you stand out from the competition. Create a memorable patient experience through dental office interior design and decor.

HOW TO USE KEY DESIGN FEATURES TO CREATE A UNIQUE DENTAL EXPERIENCE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPETITION

Go for a “Feeling”

Create a vibe with design.

You know that sense (feeling) you get when you walk into a particular business, restaurant, event, etc.? There’s a certain “vibe” that arises – starting with how the space is designed.

Design engages your patient’s emotions. And as a dental professional you want to tap into the right emotional response from the moment they arrive on your property.

Put patients at ease throughout each zone of your practice – including the clinical area.
Inspire confidence in your services with the technology you select and how you showcase it and inform patients about it.
Use sensory and emotional connect-points to create the atmosphere conducive to the specific services you provide to patients/families.

Add Some Color

Calming greens and warm browns.

Certain color schemes have a recognized impact on emotions. When selecting a color palette, begin with the emotional appeal you want to elicit.

For example, blues and greens are often confirmed by therapists as the easiest colors to focus on. Each color is also noted to have a calming effect on those exposed to them.

Even so, you aren’t limited to greens and blues. In fact, other color schemes can create a unique dental experience for your patients as well.

Natural colors (e.g. browns), wood tones, and stone masonry can create a cozy feeling throughout your practice or in certain areas.
Modern, trendy colors as you would experience in a coffee shop might be the brand of atmosphere you want to create.

Bottom line: like with other unique design elements color creates a comfortable, familiar feel that helps put patients/families at ease.

Use Natural Appeal

Big windows let in natural light and look out on a calming view.

Natural lighting and exposure to appealing outdoor views help create a unique dental experience. The ambiance created by natural lighting produces an energizing response much like being in direct sunlight.

Exposure to natural features gives your patients and your staff a welcome emotional boost.
Where possible consider facing your dental chairs toward outdoor areas that are visibly appealing.
Use lighting solutions that mimic natural light.

Learn more about how colour and natural features can positively affect patients through our free white paper on Alleviating Anxiety in Pediatrics through Kid-Friendly Themed Environments.

Keep it Light, Creative, and Entertaining

Video game entertainment for multiple ages

.

Think creativity with a purpose. The use of entertaining and creative design can produce a unique dental experience for kids and adults.

Entertainment can be informative as well as visually stimulating. Keep this in mind especially as you design around your patient base.

Use entertainment features appropriate to your dental practice’s age demographic(s).
Inspire trust and comfort with creative design that appeals to your patients/families.

Gain Some “Wait”

Provide chairs that accommodate patients/families of all ages and body types.

Your patient waiting area is more than a room. It’s a space that can be maximized for to create a unique and comforting experience.

The waiting or reception area of your practice is where patients/families relax and calm their “nerves” prior to their appointment. A unique waiting area requires intentional design.

Position your chairs for patient comfort rather than traditional space maximization.
Provide chairs that accommodate patients/families of all ages and body types.
Give patients/families mental-space through free wifi, informative and entertaining video content, family-friendly video streams, relaxing (low-volume) music suitable for all ages, etc.

Get Personal

A family photo hangs in the waiting room of this dental office.

The more attention to personalization-detail the more your patients will get acquainted with you and your team. Personal touches help build trust and eliminate the overly clinical feel of your practice and facilities in general.

Post professionally framed personal photos and memorabilia throughout your facility.
Theme your practice decor using local artwork, photos, and more that showcases your community connection.

Patients and families “feel” something the moment they arrive on-site. Managing that “feeling” starts with how intentionally you’re designing a positive patient experience.

IT’S A GOOD TIME TO IMPROVE YOUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Take your patient care and engagement to new levels. You’ll stand-out from other service providers when you provide a unique dental experience.

Invest in Your Patients

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you set can help you achieve a better patient experience.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive dental care experiences

Invest in Your Business

Maintain your edge in the crowded dental service space. Attention to details in your space can transform your environment and the overall patient experience.

Create “buzz” in the community you serve
Accelerate patient referrals
Generate positive online reviews

Check out these helpful, related resources to upgrade or renew your patient experience:

5 Tips for Creating the Experience Parents Really Want While in the Waiting Room (But Won’t Tell You!)

Case Study – Adding Theming to Increase Profitability and Patient Satisfaction

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

READ PREVIOUSREAD NEXT

6 Calming Strategies for Kids Nervous About Healthcare Appointments

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1. Help Them Make-Friends with Their Feelings and Emotions
2. Lift (Rather than Lower) Their Expectations with Advanced Preparation
3. Maintain Consistency with a Trusted Physician/Dentist
4. Use At-Home Role Play
5. Help Your Physician/Dentist Find Common Ground with Your Child
6. Model Calm and Patience
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Does anyone blame a child for their anxiety about health-related appointments? It’s understandable if you recall your own childhood fears. And it’s all the more reason to find and implement calming strategies for kids to help them cope with their visit to a physician or dentist.

Seeing the world through a child’s eyes perhaps prompts some childhood memories of your own. Remembering your own experiences helps you get on their level about the potential for anxiety.

Children worry about separation from their parent(s) and being in the presence of a relative stranger.
Children fear procedures (e.g. shots, etc.).
Children can experience confusion about necessary physical contact required from a healthcare provider on occasion.
Children’s anxiety can be heightened by a well-intentioned adult or parental conversation about medical or dental appointments.

These and more create a “perfect-storm” of sorts regarding a child’s nervousness and anxiety about a medical or dental visit. Setting them up for a lifetime of confidence about their healthcare starts early, by giving them the calming strategies to use when they feel anxious.

SIX CALMING STRATEGIES FOR KIDS EXPERIENCING ANXIETY ABOUT MEDICAL AND DENTAL APPOINTMENTS

1. Help Them Make-Friends with Their Feelings and Emotions

It’s natural to want to keep fear at arm’s length. What’s perceived as a threat or potentially painful is best avoided – in a child’s mind.

Kids aren’t wired to handle fear, anxiety, or whatever they believe to be harmful to them. So it’s best to help them accept fear as a normal reaction rather than giving the impression that it’s not real.

Allow them to express their feelings about the approaching appointment or present situation.
Avoid rescuing them and instead stand alongside them and together process their emotional response(s).
Affirm your confidence in them but don’t “sugar-coat” their upcoming experience.
Ask questions without fueling anxiety. Asking, ”How are you feeling about visiting the doctor/dentist?” is a better question than, ”Are you nervous about visiting the doctor/dentist?”

2. Lift (Rather than Lower) Their Expectations with Advanced Preparation

A brief explanation about what it’s like to visit the doctor or dentist helps frame a satisfying experience for a child and their family. It’s important that you avoid creating unrealistic scenarios that lowers their expectations to a negative level.

For example, promising that a doctor visit is “no-big-deal…” or that it won’t be painful is a promise that might be easily broken – and with it their trust.

Frame possible scenarios. A useful phrase could be, “I’m not sure if you’ll get a shot this time…but if you do, it will be over quickly and feel like a ‘pinch.’”
Reward their bravery after an appointment in a way that’s meaningful to the child.

3. Maintain Consistency with a Trusted Physician/Dentist

Overtime a child who sees the same professional will begin to trust them. And make sure your trust in your chosen physician/dentist is evident to your child.

Announcing an upcoming medical/dental visit will be less discouraging when a child can put-a-face with who they’ll see. The more personal your doctor/dentist relationship the better – for you and your child.

4. Use At-Home Role Play

Many kids play “doctor” on occasion. Role-play scenarios can help take the edge off of upcoming medical/dental appointments.

Use play instruments to listen to your child’s heart, look into their ears, check their teeth, etc.
Encourage your child to give a doll or toy an “exam.”

Playful routines can normalize what might be an anxiety producing experience.

5. Help Your Physician/Dentist Find Common Ground with Your Child

Provide your care provider as much information about your child as possible. What they enjoy doing, playing with, watching on TV, the sports they’re involved in, their hobbies, favorite foods/snacks, etc.

This information provides an opportunity to lighten the mood and establish a friendly relationship during an appointment.

6. Model Calm and Patience

Remember that anxiety or fear can be contagious. The opposite is true as well – if you’re calm, cool, and collected it’s more likely your child will be.

Set a positive mood for their approaching medical/dental appointment. Again, be realistic rather than reactionary.
Help your child relax with breathing techniques and the reassurance that helps take their mind off of their fear or anxiety.
Know that some emotion is normal (e.g. crying, etc) and that time and trust are on your side as your child matures and grows.

Calming strategies for kids are supported by an equally calming environment that helps them overcome anxiety and have a positive experience with their care providers.

Outstanding patient experience for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and environment. Check out the following resources for providing anxiety-free medical/dental visits:

How (and Why) to Help Kids with Anxiety About the Dentist

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Our Top 5 Hands-Free Waiting Room Ideas to Engage and Entertain Patients

And…

Download Our White Paper: Alleviating Patient Anxiety Through Office Theming

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you create can help you achieve a better patient experience.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive medical and/or dental care experiences

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office into an anxiety-free patient experience.

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How (and Why) to Help Kids with Anxiety About the Dentist

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Why Helping Kids With Anxiety About Dentistry is a Top Priority
Helping Kids With Anxiety About Dentistry Starts With The Potential Causes
Helping Kids With Anxiety About Dentistry Creates Lifetime Patient Relationships
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Good experiences are worth repeating. That truth applies to your strategies for helping kids with anxiety in your dental office – a result that can improve your patient retention too.

Children can sometimes experience fear about their next dental appointment. A positive patient experience can increase the likelihood that they won’t dread it.

WHY HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY ABOUT DENTISTRY IS A TOP PRIORITY

Aversion to dental care often begins early. Helping a child face their fears now will help assure their positive, lifetime relationship with dentistry.

Dental anxiety is simply the fear felt about seeking or receiving dental care. It’s also helpful to understand that it goes deeper than merely not wanting to go to a dental appointment.

The fear is real. And here’s why.

Anxiety is the body’s response to a perceived threat or danger. The physical changes that occur inside a person feeling fear attaches to their memory and the particular social situation.

Human beings have a unique relationship with anxiety. For example, a child feeling anxious will engage their memory and imagination to rehearse the experience.

Essentially, a child’s memory of an anxious experience can enlarge it into a potential outcome that produces fear. Whether it occurs or not isn’t the issue – the anxiety is there!

All this to say: dental anxiety is a credible issue for children especially. It could present as…

“Acting out”
Crying
Tantrums
Lack of cooperation
And more…

HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY ABOUT DENTISTRY STARTS WITH THE POTENTIAL CAUSES

You can’t control the past experiences of your young dental patients. But you can control the current and future ones as you understand what could have contributed to their dental anxiety.

Embarrassment

Children can feel self-conscious about their oral health as adults do. Tooth decay, bad breath, misaligned or crooked teeth, and more can create embarrassing moments for them.

Needles and “Shots” (Injections)

Kids like adults have a perception about needles. Remember, the anticipated pain associated with a shot or injection can create strong feelings of anxiety prior to a dental appointment.

Anesthesia

The general feeling of being out-of-control is often associated with sedation. For some, wearing a mask or having their nose covered will lead to anxious reactions.

Pain

Who likes pain? Even the thought of a perceived painful experience can lead to anxiety about dental treatment.

Powerlessness

Feeling as if a circumstance is beyond one’s control can cause panic and anxiety. Any pain that’s felt can lead a child to experience a sense that nothing will provide relief.

Time

A long period of time since the previous dental visit can contribute to anxiety in children. It’s common to assume that more problems (e.g. cavities, etc) will be the result of not consistently visiting your office. And in their mind, that’s more potential discomfort and thus more anxiety.

The “Unknown”

Children imagine what a visit to the dentist is like. This especially follows stories they’ve heard or what they’ve gleaned from another’s negative experience.

HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY ABOUT DENTISTRY RESTORES CONFIDENCE IN YOUR EXPERTISE AND CREATES LIFETIME PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Be The “Right Dentist”

Parents will seek a dentist based on the collective experiences of others. Keep in mind that many search on the assumption that all dentists are alike.

The difference for you could be based on your “reputation” relative to care quality and sensitivity to patient perception – including dental anxiety.

Create a themed environment that’s visibly attentive to children.
Ease anxiety through clear communication about procedures, appointment protocols, and preliminary conversations.
(If applicable) talk about and promote your own family to give the impression that you understand a child’s perspective.

Communicate and Clarify

Provide families as much appointment information as possible. This helps create predictability for their child ahead of their visit.

Give parents/families the resources to answer questions with care and confidence prior to a dental visit.
Chat with the parent/family about the questions their child/children have about dentistry.
Clarify appointment details and eliminate any “surprises” prior to their arrival.
Put kids at-ease about dental care by reminding them of the benefits of good oral health habits.

Provide a “Calming” Experience

Your dental practice environment sets the tone for a child’s dental appointment. From the moment they arrive assure them that your office is a “kid-friendly” place to receive dental care.

Manage each transition during their visit. When appropriate allow a parent/family member to accompany their child as necessary during the appointment.
Enhance their feeling of security by letting them bring personal items from home (e.g. stuffed animal, blanket, etc).
Lighten the mood by asking about their interests, hobbies, accomplishments, etc.

CREATING A CALMING ENVIRONMENT FOR HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY CAN PRODUCE A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF DENTISTRY AND ENHANCE PATIENT RETENTION

Outstanding patient experience for children and families begins with a kid-centric mindset and environment. Check out these related resources for upgrading, renewing, and providing anxiety-free dental visits:

5 Goals for Improving Patient Experience in Your Pediatric Dental Practice

Our Top 5 Hands-Free Waiting Room Ideas to Engage and Entertain Patients

5 Tips for Creating the Experience Parents Really Want While in the Waiting Room (But Won’t Tell You!)

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you create can help you achieve a better patient experience.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive dental care experiences

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office into an anxiety-free patient experience.

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What Makes a Dental Practice Successful

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If you’ve ever talked-up a business to a friend you probably said something like – “…there’s just something about that place…” That “something” involves a lot of factors. And the same applies to what makes a dental practice successful.

Success isn’t random. In fact, it requires consistent, intentional energy.

Brand First

The term, “DNA,” might be a useful analogy. A successful dental practice has a certain “DNA” or perhaps you’re more inclined to call it brand “identity.”

From patient care to patient satisfaction to patient experience there are success-drivers at the “cellular” level of every successful practice.

Your practice has a brand identity whether you give attention to it or not. It’s that unique brand identity your patients and families will reference when returning, reviewing, and referring your services.

”Being unique is all about giving your potential patients a reason to choose you over other local dentists. It doesn’t matter whether you focus on a particular speciality or you offer different dental services. Creating a unique perspective on quality dental care services has the power to net and retain many clients.” ^[1]

But what other qualities are needed to create a successful practice?

WHAT MAKES A DENTAL PRACTICE SUCCESSFUL

A Unique Environment (and Culture)

The uniqueness of your practice environment and culture help to preserve your competitive advantage. You’re likely aware that your services don’t solely determine success. But how you deliver those services in alignment with your practice culture will impact your successful outcomes.

Culture is reflected in your…

Personality
Style of leadership
Practice vision and values
Workflows and systems
Team management, communication, and expectations

Generally speaking, culture is how you “run” your practice.

And then there’s your environment. A unique environment is designed on the foundation of your practice culture.

Environment involves a variety of factors.

Design and theme
Amenities
Emotional appeal from curb-to-chair

A unique culture and environment require intentionality. Allow your team to evaluate and contribute to ongoing improvements. And listen to patient feedback and reviews for insight into improvement factors.

Efficient Systems and Workflows

System efficiency is a key to dental practice success. According to the ADA,

”The top 10 percent of dental practices understand that their internal systems are essential to their success. Using outdated systems can easily impact the quality of service you offer to your patient.” ^[2]

Efficient systems and workflows that drive practice success include:

Up-to-date technology that improves your patient care standards from scheduling to treatment protocols.
Balancing production increases with outstanding patient experience.
A culture of ongoing improvement within your practice management strategy.

Training enhanced communication across all practice departments that flows into patient interactions.

Expanded Services

Earlier we noted that your services do not (solely) determine your practice success. But certain services driven by public and/or patient need WILL contribute to the ongoing success of your dental practice.

Again, it’s the uniqueness of what you provide and the culture that supports it that will set your practice apart. Expanding your services provides you an opportunity to grow your patient base.

Adding services…

Gives you a slight edge on your competitors based on what you provide.
Catches the attention of prospective and new patients who are searching for a specific oral health solution.

Expanding your services requires that you listen to what your current patients are asking about.

Listen for trends relative to their oral health goals, problems, and pain points.
Leverage your patient demographic knowledge to improve schedule and specialty options (e.g. early and late appointments, services that appeal to a specific age group, etc).

Patient Engagement

Knowing that you should consistently engage your patients and then how you engage them is vital to dental practice success. Think of patient engagement as the overall patient experience you provide.

Next to your practice environment, an online presence is key to making a first (engaging) impression.

Design (or redesign) your dental practice website as an informative, easily-accessible platform. Highlight your services, your team, and provide a clear call-to-action (CTA) for contacting, scheduling, and/or requesting information.
Provide a secure patient portal on your website. Give patients access to pre-treatment forms (e.g. health history, necessary appointment information, etc)
Deliver useful content via a blog page on your website. Answer questions and provide solutions using conversational (non-technical) language in your posts.
Maintain a consistent presence on social media. Highlight your practice culture and environment (events, milestones, etc) alongside links to helpful oral health content your create and/or curate from other sources.
Ask for reviews and referrals. And use the information in your reviews (positive and negative) to refine and improve your patient engagement strategies.

BEING INTENTIONAL IS KEY TO WHAT MAKES YOUR DENTAL PRACTICE SUCCESSFUL

Check out these related resources on culture, environment, and patient-facing strategies that lead to dental practice success:

The Best Dental Marketing Tactics and Strategy

What is Patient Experience and Why Does It Matter?

Jump-Start Your Dental Marketing with These Key Strategies

And make an investment that helps assure your successful outcomes.

Invest in Your Patients

Valuing your patients and their families sets them up for a lifetime of positive health outcomes. And the environment you create can help you achieve a better patient experience.

Reduce patient anxiety and enhance their relaxation
Prime patients and families for their appointments
Create positive dental care experiences

Invest in Your Business

Maintain your edge in the crowded dental service space. Attention to details in your niche can transform your environment and overall patient satisfaction…whatever your dental niche.

Create “buzz” in the community you serve
Accelerate patient referrals
Generate positive online reviews

A Practical Guide to Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience

Download Our White Paper: Alleviating Patient Anxiety Through Office Theming

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

Want more tips for marketing your office? Download the free guide to learn more tips to make your dental practice successful.

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Our Top 5 Hands-Free Waiting Room Ideas to Engage and Entertain Patients

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1. I Spy Wall Murals
2. Coloring Pages or Activity Sheets
3. Suspended 3D Decor
4. Interactive Floor Projectors
5. Put On a Good Movie
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Between the social distancing policies, masks, extra PPE, and barred-off areas, your waiting room might be feeling a bit cold, unfriendly, or even a little scary to your patients these days.

Or maybe you’ve looked around your empty waiting room while patients wait in their cars and thought it looked dull or lonely. If that sounds like you, then now might just be the perfect time to make some upgrades to welcome patients back into your office with a fun, new look.

Since the arrival of COVID, one of the most common questions we’ve received is how to engage and entertain younger patients before their appointments without adding shared touch points (and therefore more cleaning time to your staffs’ plates). Read on for our top 5 hands-free recommendations!

1. I Spy Wall Murals

I Spy Wall Murals have always offered an incredible value due to their multi-purpose use as colorful decor and a fun waiting room activity. This is especially true in today’s world when you consider that it keeps kids entertained without resorting to screen time or the need for hands-on games. Another added bonus? I Spy pictures games can boost kids’ memory and visual learning, which parents will definitely appreciate.

Another great perk is the companion activity sheets that you can easily print at your office. They can search for all the items listed on the scavenger hunt list, where dozens of items are hidden within the illustration. It’s like a Where’s Waldo book, but as decor for your office wall!

Would you like to see a sample of an I Spy Wall Mural?

Enter your info below to receive a PDF with a jungle and underwater sample. Grab your kids (or do it yourself) and see how many objects you can find.

Download a sample of an underwater and jungle I Spy Wall Mural from IDS:

Speaking of activity sheets….

2. Coloring Pages or Activity Sheets

While your patients are checking in for their appointments, you can offer them various coloring pages and activity sheets to work on while they wait. You can also give them a set of disposable crayons, so there’s no need to share with other patients throughout the day. Or, if you send out appointment reminder emails, you can always attach some to the email and let them know they can print them off to bring along while they wait.

There are some great free coloring pages online that you can find. We also have a selection of free downloadable coloring pages and activity sheets, as well as drawing lessons, available on our Kids Club page.

Patients have fun, parents can relax while their kids are occupied, and staff have an effective time-management tool that does not require any extra cleaning. Everybody wins!

3. Suspended 3D Decor

If your priority is to keep decor out of reach or to not increase the amount of sanitizing in your office, suspended 3D decor can make the environment fun for all ages. It can even serve as your smiling welcoming committee – no masks required here!

Waving character above the treatment chair in a private exam room.

Hanging decor like this is great for treatment rooms where patients will be spending most of their time laying back in a treatment chair looking up. In waiting rooms this type of a decor does not take the place of seating areas.

4. Interactive Floor Projectors

This technology combines a high-quality projector with optical sensors to create a virtual playground. Kids can explore, make art, and play games by simply moving in the projection area – no hands-on contact required!

There are a few options out there, but the hands-down (or hands-off) winner is BEAM.

As pioneers of the technology, they have the best gear and a game library of over 200 titles. IDS is proudly a distribution partner, so if you’d like more info, reach out and we can make some recommendations for how to best integrate it into your space!

5. Put On a Good Movie

There’s no shame in simply putting on a good movie to keep the kids occupied before their appointment. There’s really no right or wrong when it comes to keeping kids entertained, so pop in a head bopper like Frozen, Moana, or Coco. You might feel a “Un Poco Loco” after listening to “Let it Go” all day, but you might be surprised how far it goes with the kids’ mood before heading back for their treatment.

These are just a few of our favorite solutions when it comes to hands-free waiting room entertainment.

Check out these great resources for more ideas for your practice, during COVID times or not.

Check out these related resources for keeping your office safe:

FAQ about Covid-19 and Keeping Your Theming Clean

Our Top 5 Hands-Free Waiting Room Ideas to Engage and Entertain Patients

Using TV as a Positive Distraction for Kids

Download an I Spy Mural Sample

Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.

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What Does Patient Experience Mean?

HOW TO CREATE A DENTAL DESIGN STRATEGY THAT CONSISTENTLY CREATES AN OUTSTANDING PATIENT EXPERIENCEFunctionality in Balance

Comfortable Atmosphere with Attention to Ergonomic Details

Diminish DIY and Rely on Design Expertise

Utilize Dental Design Expertise for Outstanding Patient Experience

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What are the most common barriers against improving pediatric patient experience?

FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE PEDIATRIC PATIENT EXPERIENCE IN YOUR CLINIC

1. Make it Personal

2. Familiarize Them with Your Tools and Equipment

3. Create Trust with Step-by-step Communication

4. Feature Child-friendly Themes and Distractions

5. Think Like a Counsellor

IMPROVE YOUR PEDIATRIC PATIENT EXPERIENCE BY CREATING AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT

Invest in Your Patients

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SIX DENTAL OFFICE IMAGES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE POWER OF DESIGN ON PATIENT EXPERIENCE

1. Bright, Colorful, and Illuminating Dental Offices

2. Entertaining, Engaging, and Themed Dental Offices

3. Open and Minimalist Dental Offices

4. Comfortable, Relaxed, and Homey Dental Offices

5. Posh, Unique, and Trendy Dental Offices

6. Kid and Family-friendly Dental Offices

Upgrade your dental office design and improve your patient experience.

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What’s Driving the Future of Pediatric Medical Office Design?

WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE PEDIATRIC MEDICAL OFFICE DESIGN LOOKS LIKE

Positive Patient and Family Engagement Features Throughout the Facility

Family-centric Design That Encourages Partnership in Care

Scaled Design Layout That Is Easily and Comfortably Navigated

Enhance Standard of Care Essentials Through Design

Evaluate Your Design Around the Healing Results Desired for Each Patient Experience

Create an environment that embraces the future of pediatric medical office design.

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For the Sake of Their Health

Why Kids Fear the Dentist

HOW TO HELP KIDS OVERCOME THEIR FEAR OF THE DENTIST

Encourage Parents to Model a Healthy Relationship with Dentistry

Educate Them Early and Often About Dentistry

Engage Their Curiosity with a Preliminary Office Visit

Equip Them with Positive Vibes, Proactive Habits, and Rewarding Outcomes

Create a Calming Environment and You’ll See a Decrease in Fear of the Dentist and an Increase in a Positive Perception of Dentistry

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HOW TO USE KEY DESIGN FEATURES TO CREATE A UNIQUE DENTAL EXPERIENCE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPETITION

Go for a “Feeling”

Add Some Color

Use Natural Appeal

Gain Some “Wait”

Get Personal

IT’S A GOOD TIME TO IMPROVE YOUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Invest in Your Patients

Invest in Your Business

JUMP TO SECTION

SIX CALMING STRATEGIES FOR KIDS EXPERIENCING ANXIETY ABOUT MEDICAL AND DENTAL APPOINTMENTS

1. Help Them Make-Friends with Their Feelings and Emotions

2. Lift (Rather than Lower) Their Expectations with Advanced Preparation

3. Maintain Consistency with a Trusted Physician/Dentist

4. Use At-Home Role Play

5. Help Your Physician/Dentist Find Common Ground with Your Child

6. Model Calm and Patience

Calming strategies for kids are supported by an equally calming environment that helps them overcome anxiety and have a positive experience with their care providers.

JUMP TO SECTION

WHY HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY ABOUT DENTISTRY IS A TOP PRIORITY

HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY ABOUT DENTISTRY STARTS WITH THE POTENTIAL CAUSES

Embarrassment

Needles and “Shots” (Injections)

Anesthesia

Pain

Powerlessness

Time

The “Unknown”

HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY ABOUT DENTISTRY RESTORES CONFIDENCE IN YOUR EXPERTISE AND CREATES LIFETIME PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Be The “Right Dentist”

Communicate and Clarify

Provide a “Calming” Experience

CREATING A CALMING ENVIRONMENT FOR HELPING KIDS WITH ANXIETY CAN PRODUCE A POSITIVE PERCEPTION OF DENTISTRY AND ENHANCE PATIENT RETENTION

JUMP TO SECTION

Brand First

WHAT MAKES A DENTAL PRACTICE SUCCESSFUL

HOW TO CREATE A DENTAL DESIGN STRATEGY THAT CONSISTENTLY CREATES AN OUTSTANDING PATIENT EXPERIENCE

Functionality in Balance