Reducing anxiety in an unfamiliar setting
“The blanket was really helpful. I am on the autism spectrum and definitely have heighted tactile awareness – I didn’t think it would be available at the dentist. I was really nervous about the extraction but this helped to calm me down.”Patient at The Royal London Dental Hospital
This is what the weighed blankets look like on a patient.
Helping staff provide better care
Because all of the equipment is portable, patients have been able to take them when being seen by other departments, allowing other teams to also see the benefits.
One staff member noted that a patient “had never had any dental treatment before, so suddenly being faced with the need to have multiple teeth removed was not something he or his family felt very confident about. The patient had a wonderful imagination, so we were able to combine this with the underwater scene from the projector cast on to the wall in front of the dental chair with the lights turned low. This worked as a great distraction and significantly reduced his anxiety, such that we were able to carry out all extractions in a single visit.”
“He left feeling very proud of himself, and his family were politely surprised with the outcome.”
A projector casts calming underwater scenes in front of the patient to further help reduce anxiety.
“We see some of the most vulnerable patients in the dental hospital with very diverse needs, and this equipment will stand us in a good position for many years to come - it is much appreciated and valued by our team.”Special Care Dentistry staff member