How To Ease Dental Anxiety With Color

Posted by HJT Design

When it comes to the design of your dental practice, odds are you’ll focus a lot of your attention on designing a layout that is efficient, practical, and welcoming for your staff and your patients. However, one element that you won’t want to ignore is the colors that you use throughout your practice. This is because the colors you use, whether it’s the color of the paint on the walls or the carpeting on the floors, will have a big impact on the comfort of your patients.

How Your Color Choices Affect Patients

The reason your use of color matters so much is not just aesthetic. While you want your practice to be visually pleasing (especially for your staff, who spend the whole day there), the colors are also important because of the psychological effect that they have on people in general. For example, one of the basic principles of color in design is that lighter colors make spaces feel larger and more open, while darker colors make spaces feel smaller and cozier (or cramped, depending on how big the space actually is).

Studies have shown that certain colors can have a more personal psychological effect as well. For example, certain colors have more a more calming influence, while other colors may promote efficiency and focus. You’ll want to choose colors that make your dental practice environment more soothing and comfortable for your patients while also promoting focus and energy for your staff.

Colors You Should Consider Using

Patients often have a bit of anxiety when it comes to visiting the dentist. There are many reasons for this — people are afraid of finding out that they have cavities or need dental surgery and people are often anxious about surgical procedures, especially those that require anesthesia. Children especially tend to get nervous, especially when they see all of the dental tools that are being used–which, if we’re being honest, are kind of scary looking by nature.

Keeping all of this in mind, the following are a few colors you might want to consider implementing throughout your dental practice:

• Blue – Blue tends to have a very stable, calming effect on people. It’s a very peaceful and relaxing color that studies have shown can help lower blood pressure, respiration rates, and heart rates. As such, using blue in your waiting room is an excellent idea. You don’t necessarily have to paint all the walls blue, but laying down blue carpeting or using blue chairs can help create the calming effect you want.
• Green – Like blue, green also has a very calming effect. It’s why people tend to feel much better if they’re out in nature. Adding green to your waiting room and your treatment rooms (or space) can promote a calming influence. You can do this by adding green-colored decor or even by adding plantlife (this is especially effective in the waiting room). Green is also a good color to use in staff areas, such as by the front desk or in the break room. Green helps decrease eye fatigue and promotes happier moods.
• Yellow – Yellow creates an uplifting and energizing vibe, which makes it a good choice for your treatment areas.

These are some of the colors you should consider using in your dental practice design to help decrease anxiety in patients and to increase their comfort. Keep in mind that you’re not necessarily limited to just one of these colors. You can use them together–just be thoughtful about how they work with one another. For professional guidance regarding the design of your dental practice, contact HJT Dental Design Consultants today.