For most ordinary people, visiting the dentist ranks up there with donating blood, filing taxes, or hauling one’s broken-down vehicle in for auto repair. But going to the dentist for regular check-ups is vital for the long-term health of your gums and teeth and can prevent much more serious and expensive complications down the road.
While most of us realize the importance of maintaining good oral health through regular trips to the dentist, we still dread these appointments like a kid dreads his agonizing, though inescapable Saturday morning chores.
To make your next visit to the dentist more tolerable – even enjoyable – here are a few ideas you can use to put your mind at ease, to help pass the time more quickly and to even have a bit of fun at the dentist!
1. Check In. Check in with the front desk upon arriving, for sure, but once you take a seat in the waiting room, try whipping out your smart phone if you have one and checking in to the clinic on FourSquare or Facebook Places. These apps are fun and can engage your mind and entertain you while you wait for your name to be called.
2. Bring Your Favorite Thing To Read. One of my least favorite things to do is to sit and wait. Especially if I happen to be waiting for a filling or a root canal! Most offices recognize this and offer a variety of magazines and television for their patients. However, why not bring your own favorite magazine or book to read? If you can leave a few minutes early, swing by your local bookstore and treat yourself to a fun magazine in your favorite interest area. Not only can you read this in the waiting room – but tuck it under your arm and bring it back with you. The staff won’t mind at all and you are 99% certain to have additional reading time while waiting for the dentist.
3. Bring Your MP3 Player To Escape To Your Happy Place. Why not bring your MP3 player for that boring tooth polishing session or, more importantly, for that filling, crown or other lengthy procedure? Download some calming music from Amazon or iTunes or a favorite audiobook that relaxes you and keeps your mind engaged and in a happy place! Of course, make sure it’s okay with your dentist to do this and keep the volume to a reasonable level so that you can easily hear when your dentist needs to communicate with you.
4. Wear Comfortable Clothing. The simple things in life often make all the difference! Instead of wearing blue jeans, try some comfy, loose-fitting sweats and a soft, comfortable top. Think: soft, plush, loose and comfortable. If you’re an expressive-type personality and want to stick with the fun theme, try wearing a funny T-shirt. If it gets your dentist and staff laughing, chances are good that you, too, will be having fun!
5. Get Everyone Laughing. Let’s face it: as much as you dread going to the dentist, your dentist likely faces his or her own amount of monotony doing the same things all day long, day after day. Try brightening up everyone’s day with a little laughter by telling your dentist and staff a joke. You might especially win favor by telling them a funny dental-related joke, such as: “A dentist asks his patient: Could you help me out with something? I’m wondering if you could just let out a few really loud, painful-sounding screams. The patient laughs and is like, ‘Yeah, sure doc…but why…you haven’t started doing anything yet?’ And the dentist says, ‘Well, the waiting room is chuck full of people right now and I don’t want to miss the four o’clock ball game.'” Try Googling “funny dentist jokes” or similar terms to come up with something funny. It will get you laughing and will inject a bit of fun into everyone’s day.
Finally, be creative! Think of simple things you can do to make your trip to your dentist more enjoyable. Bring something along to do during idle moments. Think of things to look at, listen to or otherwise engage, distract and entertain your senses. Before you know it, your trip to the dentist will be over. You’ll enjoy that great feeling of having gotten the dreaded visit behind you and the peace of mind of knowing that your teeth have gotten the TLC they need to look and feel great for years to come.
write by Geoffrey
