Five tips for best practice in dentist waiting rooms, creating a calm and welcoming environment to reduce patient anxiety

The experts at music licensing company PPL PRS have shared some key tips to achieve this.

1. Put yourself in your patients’ shoes

A good place to start is to view your waiting area as if you have never been there before and take it in based on your first impressions. What is the first thing people see when they walk in?

If it’s a blank wall, consider making it more homely by hanging a picture or some art – a more personal and less clinical space can ease those patient jitters. What do people hear when they walk in? A very simple way to make any space more welcoming is to play music. Whether it’s a playlist that is designed to be soothing and relaxing or simply putting on a popular radio station that patients are likely to be familiar with, having music playing is a great distraction and can be a highly effective stress buster.