The Smile Daily

Here’s the truth: Parents of Little Ones don’t really fear shots. They don’t fear pain or procedures or medicine being administered.They fear The Wait.They fear being confined in a room with their children, and possibly other dignified adults while their children dance on their heads (or the heads of the other adults).They fear screaming and crying and vandalism and multiple trips to the bathroom and climbing of the walls and licking of the magazines.They fear being unable to deny that the children belong to them.They fear that the positive energy from the rest and nourishment they made sure their children had before arriving gets drained out during The Wait, leaving them cranky and hungry and miserable during the appointment.

But…

What if The Wait, was half the fun? What if the children and parents looked forward to The Wait because the room was designed for them and filled with books and games and delightful distractions?What if they so enjoyed The Wait, that they actually felt interrupted when their names were called? What if The Wait was so Great it felt like a tease because they never had to Wait much at all?Is it possible? What if?

Dr. Johnston's Response:

At Norge Dental Center the only complaint we get about the wait, is that it isn't long enough! We have a wonderful coffee maker, that dispenses delicious cups of java, only to have to be poured in the drain because we are ready for our patient before they can enjoy it.

Sometimes people just start reading an article in one of our many (over 30 subscriptions) current (never more than two issues old) magazines, only to be brought back for treatment before they finish the first paragraph. Of course, we invite them to just keep the magazine if they were enjoying it.

But what about The Wait referred to above? Waiting with children presents its own peculiar set of circumstances. At Norge Dental Center we designed our facility to remedy these concerns.

First, we have two separate reception rooms (please don’t call it a “waiting room.”). The main reception area is located right at the front entrance, and has plenty of creature comforts for our adult patients, but there is another entirely separate reception room down the hall, which was designed for the kids (and their parents).

Don’t think of it as an afterthought, or a converted closet. It is actually a large room with bright colors, and cushy sofas. There are 3 Sony Playstations with family friendly games loaded. There is always a G rated movie playing on the big TV under the canopy in the corner, and several game tables for toddlers to amuse themselves with. There is also a book library with tons of great children’s books.

But again, sometimes we have to disappoint the kids by not letting them wait long enough: with 16 treatment rooms, and a staff of 8 hygienists, we can see all the kids, from several families, all at one time.

For mom, that means she is in and out with everyone in under an hour, rather than “waiting” for the kids to be seen one at a time.

At Norge Dental Center, we take convenience to the next level… even when it comes to waiting.