IDS has gained notoriety as being the go-to company for creating office spaces designed with children in mind. When we design for kids we of course engineer the toughest product available, but we also look at the psychological side of how our creations will help children prepare for an appointment.
For this, we follow the Three E’s: Engage, Entertain, and Educate!
How to Create an Engaging, Entertaining, and Educational Experience for Children Visiting Your Office
Visiting a dentist’s office can be an intimidating experience for children, but with the right approach, it can become a moment of fun, learning, and even excitement! By focusing on engaging, entertaining, and educating young patients, your practice can transform into a space where kids feel at ease and even look forward to their visits. Here’s how:
Engage Children
Passively sitting and waiting for an appointment can cause anxiety to grow, especially for children. At IDS, we believe in engaging kids’ minds and bodies to keep them calm, distracted, and entertained, creating positive memories they’ll associate with your office.
Imagine walking into a space where children can explore, learn, and play while they wait. By providing interactive activities that stimulate curiosity and creativity, you can turn what might be a stressful experience into something they enjoy.
You won’t see faces like this at an IDS themed office:
Young patients aren’t just at the dentist for treatment—they’re there to learn! Engaging kids in understanding their oral health empowers them to take better care of their teeth at home. Whether it’s interactive displays, fun activities, or hands-on games, these moments of engagement set the foundation for healthy habits and confident smiles.
The goal? A better overall appointment experience, smoother treatments, and continued care at home.
Entertain Children
Time flies when you’re having fun! This phrase exists for a reason. The busier someone is during a time interval, the faster that time interval will feel like it has passed. There is a lot less time for a child to get anxious, bored, or build up tension about an upcoming procedure if they are lost in play.
From the study Influence of Positive Distractions on Children in Two Clinic Waiting Areas:
“Data analysis shows that the introduction of distraction conditions was associated with more calm behavior and less fine and gross movement, suggesting significant calming effects associated with the distraction conditions. Data also suggest that positive distraction conditions are significant attention grabbers and could be an important contributor to improving the waiting experience for children in hospitals by improving environmental attractiveness.”
IDS gaming tablets, slides, theaters, and play forts provide a number of outlets for kids to burn energy and reduce stress. Whether they are crawling around a play area, laughing at a funny kids movie playing in the theater, or using their mind to solve puzzles on an iPad, kids are having fun!
The proof is in the reviews from parents. Taken from actual online reviews of our clients:
“Makes coming to the dentist fun and something to look forward to!”
“My son left the dentist with a huge smile, asking to come back again!!”
“If you’re a kid and you need to go to the dentist, this is the place to go! The atmosphere is fun, friendly, and eases the anxiety of seeing a dentist!”
If our theming isn’t fun for kids, then we’re not doing our jobs!
Educate Children
Last, but not least, we want to encourage the education of your patients when they visit your office. While making sure kids are having fun is our main goal, we want to ensure that we have an impact on the health of children as well.
Chair-side education is the current model for delivering information to patients. But is this the best way for them to absorb information? Studies show that using passive learning vs active learning creates a stark contrast in the retention of a lesson.
Many studies have found that, while individuals have various learning styles, on average people remember 90% of what they do compared to 20% of what they hear.
When you were a student, did you learn more in a lecture hall or when you were actively working on a patient’s mouth? Kids are the same. Passive learning disempowers the student and takes the fun out of learning.
It is important that education is fun at a young age. Research has shown that if students do not consider a learning activity worthy of their time and effort, they might not engage or may even disengage all together in response (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004).
Waiting rooms are a place where children can experience hands-on learning through dental education kiosks and experiment with large replica teeth and other educational installations while still feeling as if they are just playing. IDS has lots of dental education ideas to share with you.
A large tooth with a cavity that emits a foul stink when you press a button gives a vivid demonstration of what actually happens to a rotten mouth. That’s a memorable way to teach good dental habits!
Transforming Visits into Experiences
IDS is dedicated to helping your patients have the best possible experience when they visit your office. Create a memorable patient experience through dental office interior design and decor. Every office we create is ready to Engage, Entertain, and Educate!
IDS theming is not an expense; it is an investment in your business.
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
Contact Imagination Design Studios (IDS) to get started transforming your office from a mundane to magical patient experience.