Things Are Looking Up At The Dentists

Media Release
Date: 20th October 2008

Things Are Looking Up At The Dentists

At many of New Zealand’s dental surgeries there is nothing to look at when sitting in the dentist’s chair except up the dentist’s nostrils, according to Dr Adam Doudney of Lumino The Dentists Smile Studio in Orewa.

Which is why Dr Doudney has developed a series of engaging artworks, specially designed to be fitted on the ceiling, where a reclining patient can view them during an examination. So successful has the idea been that the artworks have been taken up by Henry Schein Shalfoon, the world’s biggest supplier of dental equipment and are now being sold across the country.

Dr Doudney explains: `Initially the idea came to me when visiting my five year old son in the Starship hospital. There was nothing for the kids to look at and he was reduced to staring at the dots on the ceiling, lying there bored to tears. That set me thinking about my patients and what it must feel like being in the dental chair. Part of what we try to do at Lumino is relax patients by giving them something to distract them, while performing quality dentistry.

`I have a TV with headphones for longer appointments, but not everyone wants that and for shorter consultations I had posters and mobiles on the ceiling, but they had been there for years and were prone to sagging and really only appealing to a limited range of clients.’

Dr Doudney carried out a survey of 48 surgeries through Lumino The Dentists’ national network to verify there really was a need for something different. He found that 42 per cent of them had nothing on the ceiling to look at, 23 per cent had something, 19 per cent had something but it was in dire need of changing, and 16 per cent had a TV screen.

Dr Doudney says: `A number mentioned that they couldn’t find anything suitable, and if we include the surgeries that have nothing and those who would like something better over 60 per cent of surgeries wanted a better option.
`After two years of research and design in my spare time in conjunction with Cory Lind, an excellent artist and graphic designer we have developed three artworks which appeal to all ages and situations. I took the concept to Henry Schein Shalfoon – the largest dental supplies company in the world on the premise that I’d start with the biggest and work my way down. They were really enthusiastic and very supportive and the posters have been selling very well now.’

There are three posters in the initial range on offer, an underwater scene, an ocean view and an `inspirational’ scene (child and grandfather).

ENDS

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