The very first moment is crucial!
Everyone knows it. You enter a room, in this case a dental practice, and immediately notice its aromatic aura. Even before you have taken in everything with your eyes and ears, your nose is already one “step” ahead. Immediately, in a fraction of a second, emotions are generated and experiences are evoked that have already been associated with this smell. Woe betide us if these odor memories have negative connotations. Perhaps they date back to a time when medicinal substances smelled much more distinctive and unpleasant.
If these odors are also associated with pain we have suffered, then these negative experiences have become deeply engraved in our emotional life. This is because smells have a direct connection to the emotional center of the human being. Everything happens unconsciously and you cannot escape it. Only then is the room, your practice, perceived visually and acoustically. What remains is the fear and the uneasy feeling in the stomach of some patients.
Who likes going to the dentist?
Fear of dental treatment and dental procedures is widespread. According to various statistical surveys, 70 percent of the German population suffer from dental anxiety. The situation is similar in other countries. This does not include people with a pronounced dental phobia. The fear of the drill, pain, unpleasant noises, smells and the feeling of being at the mercy of the dentist's chair is completely natural.
For these anxious patients, the mere thought of the upcoming treatment is associated with a racing heart and sweaty palms. In addition to the fear of a painful treatment, the reasons for the tension and anxiety are often the mixture of clinical room design and the typical “practice smell” that often greets patients in the entrance area.
Fear often sits in the waiting room!
This is where the treatment begins, because patients with dental phobia or children are not relaxed or patient in the waiting room.
Nor do they enjoy the monotonous splashing of the Mediterranean indoor fountain. Furthermore, their enthusiasm for medical posters, which depict the benefits of dental implants in great detail, is limited.
A lot is already done to make the visit to the dentist and the stay in the waiting room as pleasant as possible. Nevertheless, many patients suffer from inner and outer tension and feelings of anxiety. With a harmonious interior design, bright colors, plants, pictures and pleasant music, the aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere and counteract their fears. Unfortunately, this is not always successful because something essential is missing, namely a pleasant, balancing scent. We humans can immediately smell whether we feel comfortable or whether the air in the room is “thick”. The smell of medicinal substances and body sweat, combined with the sound of a drill, makes many patients feel like fleeing.
Where and which scents should be used to create a relaxed atmosphere in the practice?
A pleasant, feel-good fragrance is recommended in the entrance and registration area, which can be as fresh as mint or as slightly fruity as a peeled orange.
Pure essential oils, whose positive effects have been known for centuries, should be used in the waiting room and treatment room. These include orange, lavender, jasmine, vanilla, bergamot, clary sage, lemon balm, citrus, rosemary, rose, geranium, camomile, chirp, mint, ylang ylang and patchouli. All of these oils, diffused with a diffuser from the AromaStreamer® range, are recommended individually or as ingredients in a fragrance composition to combat anxiety and stress, as they all have a balancing, calming and anxiety-reducing effect and contribute to relaxation. At the same time, they increase the oxygen content in the air and, as essential oils, have antimicrobial and antiviral properties and reduce bacteria, mold and fungal spores in the air.
Is the effect of fragrances on anxiety scientifically proven?
Definitely YES, various universities have addressed the issue of dental anxiety in scientific studies. The universities included King's College Dental Institute, a college of the University of London, one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in Europe.
They conducted a cluster-randomized study entitled “The effect of lavender scent on dental anxiety patients”. In this study, the anxiety-reducing effect of lavender scent was clearly demonstrated. The University Clinic for Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, in Austria also conducted a study to scientifically investigate the effects of inhaling orange and lavender essential oils on mood, anxiety, alertness and patience while waiting for dental treatment. Both universities came to the same conclusion in their studies. It works, these scents alleviate anxiety and contribute to the well-being of patients.
We took the scientific findings as an opportunity to develop such an anti-anxiety fragrance. We were by no means interested in a blend of essential oils to accompany the treatment of acute toothache - the pain-relieving effect of clove oil is well known - but rather in the purely psychological mood improvement of anxiety patients. We have had this fragrance in our permanent fragrance range since March 2017.
Expert advice is particularly important when using fragrances!
Competent and professional advice from trained experts is particularly important so that the extraordinary possibilities that lie in the “power of fragrances” can be used optimally. Especially when it comes to the selection and placement of the devices as well as the choice of fragrance and the chosen intensity of the fragrance. Because here too, less is sometimes more. Too much fragrance can certainly lead to headaches. Even with the best and purest essential oil, it is important to use the right amount. Paracelsus already knew: “Everything is poison, it just depends on the dosage.”
State-of-the-art appliance technology for professional use!
REIMA® AirConcept has a large selection of state-of-the-art fragrance devices, because the diffusion of fragrances requires sophisticated systems that ensure a uniform complexity of the fragrance.
The devices in the compact AromaStreamer® range work on the principle of cold evaporation, whereby the gentle and micro-fine nebulization of the fragrance compositions guarantees fragrance perception in all facets (top, heart and base notes) as well as rapid aromatization of areas of 50 m²-2,000 m². An integrated multifunctional timer allows the devices to be programmed quickly and easily to the desired operating times. Scent intervals accurate to the second guarantee a uniform and optimal scenting effect.
Exquisite fragrances and essential oils inspire patients for a long time!
In summary, it can be said that the professional use of fragrances in medical practices reduces unpleasant odours, improves the air in the room, reduces anxiety, stress and impatience and significantly improves the psychological well-being of waiting patients and contributes to general harmonization.
Pamper your patients with our excellent reimarom® fragrances. You can choose from a selection of over 300 different fragrances available as standard. Let us inspire you. We will be happy to advise you!