Dentists can calm their most stressed-out of patients with something special to focus on apart from their fear – or the cost of their treatment!
Distraction comes in the form of lightweight, compact video eyewear that allows the patient an audiovisual cinema experience.
Although video eyewear has been around for several years, models have improved dramatically recently.
According to Netherlands’ dentist Dr Rob Roef: ‘Some people are so frightened that they require anaesthetic treatment, or they simply don’t seek necessary treatment until it is too late.
‘Facilitating and helping to get the patients’ focus away from pain to pleasure pays off for both the patient and the dentist.’
This latest virtual screen is an image of almost 1.5m at a distance of three metres and the eyewear is less bulky, allowing the dentist to work without it becoming an obstacle.
Dr Roef comments: ‘Weighing only 65gms, the days of having something the size of a refrigerator on the patient’s head are now gone.’
RelaxView B.V. assembled a patient-distraction package that suits patient and dentist.
The patient can still make eye contact with the dentist by focusing their eyes about the video screen and this, together with the adjustable volume level, ensures that communication between dentist and patient can be maintained.
Further information is available on www.relaxview.eu.
• A scientific study called Effects of Audiovisual Distraction During Dental Prophylaxis, JADA, July 2001, concluded: ‘All of the patients who completed the study said they would prefer to use the audiovisual eyeglasses again during dental procedures.’
