Page 6 - Westman Business 2018

6 THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 2018

Chancellor Dental assistant, Shannon, checks a patient’s teeth. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
Chancellor Dental provides smiles, relieves

fears for patients with “humanized” dentistry

While techniques in dentistry have progressed exten- electronic x-rays, so that it’s painless – patients don’t have notions of what can happen during a visit to the dentist,
sively over the last several years, an innate fear about a visit to be uncomfortable,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got a Panorex Mitchell said. And the best thing people can do is trust in
to the dentist still remains. (a full jaw x-ray) that goes right around the head so they’re the professionals – the dentists, the hygenists, the assis-
But that’s something the folks at Chancellor Dental are not having all these contraptions around their mouth, or tants, and the office staff – who are guiding them through
trying to change. “We want to humanize things a whole being scared because they’re in closed, confined spaces. the experience. If they’re uncertain about some aspect of
lot more,” said Amber Mitchell, officer manager at Chan- We really want to make the operatories comfortable, so their treatment, they’re more than encouraged to ask ques-
cellor Dental. “We’re told every day, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be we make sure that our patients know we’ve got head pil- tions.
here. I didn’t want to come here.’” lows, blankets, even headphones. We’ve got TVs and stuff “The big thing is a lot of patients don’t verbalize to us
So they’ve taken a proactive approach to trying to make for them. We try our best to make everybody comfortable. what they need,” Mitchell said. “So if they’re nervous or
the thought of dental appointments, exams or procedures Because as long as they’re comfortable, they’re a little more they’re not sure of something, we find a lot of patients still
less stressful for their patients. And Mitchell said it all be- relaxed.” don’t ask. And we’ve tried to make our social media a place
gins the moment a patient walks through the door. Chancellor Dental’s primary focus is oral health and pa- they can go before they even come into the office to get
“It’s all about our staff,” Mitchell said. “We’ve hired tient-centered care. But while techniques and treatments some answers and some reassurance. We’ve posted all sorts
staff, especially for the front desk, who are very inviting have changed with the times, there’s one piece of technol- of little tips on how to prepare for your dental appoint-
and very bubbly and happy. If the patient seems nervous, ogy that’s had a negative effect on the whole process. So ment.
then we kind of help settle things down a little bit, just by instead of being more at ease, people are even more trepi- “And we have lots of patients who say, ‘We don’t know
those personalities. Everybody’s friendly, and it’s just like datious now than they were in the so-called “olden days.” how much dentistry costs. So we need an estimate.’ But a
sort of like a spa. You’d never imagine you’re in a dental “I find being fearful or paranoid is more common now- lot of people don’t ask for that because money is a taboo
clinic.” adays, actually, because the Internet’s more available,” subject. So we try to use our social media to get that out
Improvements in approach, with the aid of advanced Mitchell said. “So when people get on the Internet, they’re there and to say, ‘You know what? Just ask us. We want to
technology and superior equipment, has made dentistry, not really seeing what happens.” help you.’ But if you don’t ask we don’t know.”
if not completely pain free, then at least a whole lot less Easily accessible and often graphic imagery of proce-
intimidating than it used to be. “They’ve come up with dures gone wrong are giving people completely erroneous » Continued on Page 8