There’s a new device called The Dental Button that allows anxious 
patients to stop the drill. (Kind of like the passenger side brake pedal in a driver’s education car…)
Is this really a good idea… either from a marketing point of view or a clinical perspective?
Read more: “Dental Button” Calms Fears in the Dentist’s Chair
Friday, 13. November 2009
On The Dental Button’s website, they advertise their product by saying:
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE INDESPUTABLE LAW OF HAVING THE “SENSE OF CONTROL”
It’s a valid point, to be sure… I just wish they has spelled indisputable right!
Monday, 23. November 2009
From a marketing viewpoint, I see the value. From a clinical viewpoint, it looks like a nuisance.
Part of my routine is a pre-op conversation about comfort that involves a low-tech solution of “just raise your left hand if you feel anything or need a break.”
During treatment I also keep checking in to verify comfort level, even if I’m fairly certain they’re totally comfortable. I still do it because it demonstrates a caring approach and gives a chance to reconnect on a rapport level.
If the appointment goes as orchestrated, the patient leaves feeling cared for and cared about.