The design of the treatment room already plays an important role in this. Bright, friendly colours help to create a pleasant atmosphere. Depending on personal preferences, quiet relaxing music or a screen showing beautiful, calming images can be used.
It is important that the patient is not made to wait for too long in the waiting room beforehand. Otherwise he or she will start wondering about the treatment and may start to worry about how painful it is going to be. Since prophylaxis appointments are normally planned further ahead, it is a good idea to send out reminders to patients in the form of a phone call or a text message. Patients can already be asked to give their consent to this "reminder service" on the anamnesis form. As a general rule, the appointment lengths for prophylaxis treatments should always allow enough of a time buffer to ensure that nothing is rushed. It has also shown to be very successful if the patient is always treated by the same member of the prophylaxis team. This helps to build trust. This positive patient bond is a positive aspect that helps allay the patient's fears.
Some patients don't manage to clean their teeth before coming to the appointment – for example, they may have come straight from the office. As a service, disposable toothbrushes and toothpaste should therefore be provided in the practice so that patients can clean their teeth beforehand.
Any discussions with the patient about what will happen during the prophylaxis session should be conducted eye-to-eye. Once the patient is already lying down, he or she may feel vulnerable or lacking control. The way in which information is provided needs to be done just as individually as the performance of the prophylaxis session itself. Some patients prefer to have every last aspect of the treatment explained before it starts, along with the individual costs, while others are happy with a summary.
It is often the small things that transform a prophylaxis session into a wellness treatment, such as giving the patient something to drink beforehand and allowing them to rinse during the treatment. The positioning of the patient is also generally very important. Older patients usually feel more comfortable in a more upright position as they are less mobile. Seat cushions can be very helpful for small children. As a general rule, the memory functions in the treatment unit should be used, and a number of programs should be pre-programmed. to allow quick fine adjustment of the patient's positioning in just a few steps later on.
Prophylaxis sessions can last up to an hour. This is why it is important to make sure that every patient is comfortable. Here, a cushion made of viscoelastic foam placed on the head support of the treatment unit – such as the Lunos Prophylaxis cushion – will provide support for the neck and head. Before the start of the treatment, the patient should be given a dental rinse to prevent infections. This should have a pleasant, fresh taste – just like the Lunos Dental rinse. Lip balm can be offered to the patient repeatedly during and at the end of the treatment. The treatments with powder jet units tend to dry out the lips in particular.
After the treatment, many patients will go straight back to the office. A refreshing, pre-soaked terry cloth (Lunos Prophylaxis wellness cloth) is the ideal way for patients to clean their face after the prophylaxis treatment and brings the session to a pleasant close.