I'm just a patient, but who better to give a patient's perspective?

I have noticed some aesthetic things in my many dentist visits lately,
and since I've not been to just one or two but actually 5-6 dentist's
offices, I'd like to make some comments and suggestions. These things
aren't "all important" but I think they do make a patient feel either
comfortable or uncomfortable and as such, should be of importance.

1) I think putting some nice paintings on the wall where the patient
is forced to stare is a good idea that many dentists don't seem to
"get". One dentist has "sky" painted on his flourescent light panels
which was nice; and others have nice paintings to stare at, at least
while waiting, if not when reclining back in the chair. No big deal,
but to me, it is something that shows the patient you care about
his/her comfort.

2) Along the same lines, have a coat rack or tree or something for
patients to hang their coats on! NONE of the 6 dentists I've been to
have any place for a patient to hang their coat, and this is very
inconsiderate!

3) Have some magazines that are from this year, if not this month.
Most of these dentists do, but I've been to some doctors that didn't.

4) Have some kind of non-annoying music playing for people to listen
to. I can see this may be a challenge, as some might find classical
annoying, others might find country annoying, etc. But I'd go with
some light classical or oldies rock, and figure 90% of the people
could tolerate one or the other.

5) Have your dental assistant adjust your patient's headrest. I've had
to ask for this to be done for me (I'm tall) at 4 out of 5 dentist
offices. It should be automatic, as soon as I sit down; or at least
before they start working on me.

6) Don't have the office so cold that people feel uncomfortably
chilly. And if you do have to have it that way for some reason
(screwed up heater or air conditioner, for example) then offer the
patient a blanket. I have not had this problem at any dentist offices
recently, but I have had it plenty of times at doctors' offices.

That's all I can think of right now. None of these things are "deal
breakers", that is I wouldn't NOT go back to a dentist because of the
lack of any of the above. However, if I had to choose between 2 equal
dentists in terms of skill and reputation, I would choose the one with
the more client-friendly office.

Weirdest dentist place I was there was no privacy. It was an open floor
plan and the dentist would walk down it like an assembly line. It
freaked me out, man!

        This is especially common in orthodontic offices.  There should at
least be some kind of curtain, like in an emergency room bay.

Steve

I wouldn't believe a word that came out Natural_{*filter*}s mouth/keyboard.
Shows up on the scene with 7 posts to its credit..  Can you say TROLL!!!!!

I think it's someone known to post under another name.  That's a
particularly troublesome sort of troll.  We seem to have more than one
of those "trolls" working the group lately.

The orthodontist I sometimes work for has a satellite office that he uses
1pm-5pm one day of the week... the office is only one room--a square--and
the three chairs are in three of the four corners of the room facing the
corners with only about 5 feet between them.  There's no room for x-ray
equipment so we never do records there (patients have to drive 20 minutes to
the main office for records), but there IS a bathroom where the patients can
brush when needed.  I helped upgrade the office a few years ago by
installing a second phone in the CLOSET so he could have patient
confidential phone conversations.  It's definitely a tight squeeze!

--Stephen D