LED ceiling screens that show either a soothing static image of the sky or can play a choice of nature-themed films are designed to distract anxious patients at the dentist.

The special screens are installed in two clinics at Witney Dental Clinic.

One shows an image of the sky with clouds and hot air balloons. The other surgery has a ‘living’ screen where patients can watch one of a number of films such as underwater scenes with fish and other marine life or trees and clouds. 

The installations, funded by Oxford Health Charity, have already been shown to reduce patients’ anxiety levels, particularly in children.

Witney Dental Clinic specialises in dental care for children and adults who cannot be treated in a general dental practice.

This could be due to learning or physical disabilities, anxiety or phobia, mental health issues or specific medical conditions such as patients with neurological conditions such as those who have had a stroke or have Parkinson’s disease.

As a result, they may find going to the dentist particularly distressing so trying to keep them calm is very important.

Puja Kalawadia, Senior Dental Officer for Oxford Health, Community Dental Services said: “The addition of the screens has been a great success, both with patients and our staff.

"For our patients, they really help to reduce the stress and anxiety that people sometimes feel when coming to the dentist. 

"One young person wouldn’t even sit in the chair before we had the living screen installed, but it was a great way of engaging with them.

"Once it was in place they sat in the dental chair without any problem and allowed me to check their teeth. That was a real breakthrough.”

A formal structured Quality Improvement project will now aim to measure how much the anxiety levels of patients has reduced since the LED ceilings were installed.

Julie Pink, Head of Charity and Involvement at Oxford Health said: “We are very proud to have been able to fund the installation of these devices.

"It’s wonderful that something that is quite a simple idea can have such a positive impact on our patients in such a short space of time.

"Many people get stressed about going to the dentist and Witney’s patient group includes some very vulnerable adults and children so anything that can help them with that anxiety is to be welcomed.”

Oxford Health Charity uses donations from  the public to enhance the experience of those using the services or working with the Trust.

Charitable donations are not used to fund NHS services. 

 

 

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