"Plus the sound from the headphones drowns out the drill. "The glasses make me take my mind off what's coming next," he said. "I'd rather not see what he's doing because that causes me too much anxiety," he said, adding that his tension was relieved when Dr. His next purchase will likely be video glasses.įor dread-filled patients like Carey Wolen, whose dentist is Ira Newman of Old Brookville, anxiety reduction techniques are not a nicety but a necessity. He has also considered, but decided against, having a manicurist doing patients' nails while he is working on their teeth. Jay Piskin, a dentist in Floral Park, offers headphones to patients and a massage chair. Engels said she had been approached by three other dentists who are considering adding the services of a massage therapist.ĭr. Other dentists have also reacted well: Ms. "It's been a good experience - especially since the patients react so well to the program." "Working in a supporting role, where massage is a pain management technique, rather than the whole purpose of a visit, has been different for me," she said. There is no additional charge to patients who use her services. She gives chair massages to patients in the dentist's waiting room and performs foot massage and reflexology while they are in the dental chair. Engels, a licensed massage therapist with a specialization in reflexology, has worked in a medical office. Michelle Engels is one of three massage therapists who collectively work five day a week at Dr. Six months ago she introduced the foot massage into her three year old Manhasset practice she has also arranged her office using the Chinese art of feng shui, the practice of arranging furniture and using color and aromatherapy to create maximum harmony in a physical environment. Golden said she was first exposed to distraction treatments when she worked for seven years in a Manhattan dental office that catered to celebrities. "We also offer stress balls for patients to squeeze and provide information on an acupuncturist that will come to the office to treat them during a visit."ĭr. "Massage therapy is just one way to help patients with anxiety" she said. Golden is one of a number of Long Island dentists who promote distraction techniques for patients who experience a lot of stress during dental work. "I could see how video glasses, for example, could remove a patient from the situation too completely, so they could not participate in their own care such as moving their mouth a certain way" he said.ĭr. Messina, who has a practice in the Midwest, also said that not all distraction methods were conducive to practicing the best dentistry. Messina said that anecdotal research did point to value in these treatments, which vary from massage therapy to musical or visual stimulation. While the association does not have any formal position or statistics on nonmedical stress-reduction practices for dentists, Dr. "It's easier to work on a calm patient and a calm patient feels more comfortable with the work that's being done." "Anything a dentist can do to make a patient feel more at peace or at ease is beneficial - for both," said Matthew Messina, a dentist who is consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. Later she gets her neck, shoulders and back rubbed, too.Practices like these, called distraction treatments, that aim to ease the anxiety and worry of dental patients, are turning up increasingly in dental offices on Long Island. That is when she gets to sit back and relax because while the dentist, Linda Golden, works on her mouth, Ms. Kerry Kehoe looks forward to visits to her dentist. In the News Review of Oral Microbiomes: more and more importance in oral cavity and whole body Click here for full article Dentists Try to Overcome an Old Foe: Fear
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