BEAUMONT-The tempting scent of baking bread fills the room, a pleasing companion to the soft glow of vanilla candles. A shelf holds exercise
equipment and a slow cooker keeps towels at a toasty temperature.
It only sounds like a spa.
The office of Beaumont dentist Dr. Dave Carpenter are welcoming soothing and decidingly patientfriendly.
That’s the idea, say medical practitioners whose progressive thinking includes making surroundings less “medicinal.”
Once a year, Carpenter and staff sit down and brainstorm what they can do to make their patients’ experience a good one.
“We came up with three categories of concern,” Carpenter said. “Fear, time and money. We started with feat. Patients told us, ‘I hate the smell of a dentist’s office.”
Carpenter and his staff countered that by baking bread in a bread machine twice a day. The lucky patients who happen to be checking out around 11:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. take a hot loaf home with them.
“We used to eat it, but as you might imagine, we had to quit. We found ourselves wishing we had bought our uniforms one size bigger,” said office manager Jackie Anderson. “Now, we’re happy to give it away.”
Other “atmospheric enhancements” include warm blankets for patients whose body thermostats don’t match those of the doctor and staff, who must wear masks, gloves and smocks or jackets. They also provide neck pillows and warm towels for post-dental comfort, served on a china plate.
Next came time.
Patients told Carpenter “When I walk into an office and there are 10 to 12 people waiting, I know I’m going to be a while.”
There was a time when a full waiting room was a point of pride for a doctor, Carpenter said.
“The thought was, we’re busy so I must be doing a good job,” he explained. “We backed off and got slower.”
When possible, patients are scheduled to have as much done at one time as possible, so they don’t have to miss more work. If they have a long appointment, the staff makes them a smoothie or milkshake as a pick-me-up.
Patients who have extensive work, such as a full mouth restoration, are in for a treat.
Rose Higginbotham, 75, of Beaumont wanted a new smile. Her teeth had “worn down with age” and needed brightening.
“If anybody thinks their teeth are hopeless, it’s not true. He can make them look new,” she said. “Because I spent quite a bit of time in his office, I got to know them very well. It’s a very friendly atmosphere, but they are very professional.”
At the end of her work, Carpenter surprised her with an unusual gift.
“He gave me a dozen red roses. They were very beautiful. I never expected that to happen. I felt like Miss America.”
Other tokens of appreciation include restaurant gift certificates, a gift certificate to a sporting goods store or something else in keeping with the patient’s interest.
And their patients never have to worry about getting wet. If an unexpected shower hits, Carpenter keeps a supply of inexpensive umbrellas to send home with them.
Across town, a big rainbow in front of Beaumonts Pediatrics Center is a tipoff to their child-friendly space.
Inside, children and their parents find a veritable playground fantasy.
The sick baby waiting room looks like Egypt, with a pyramid on the wall and the floor painted like sand dunes.
The well baby waiting room is designed to resemble an igloo, with glass blocks and a padded iceburg slide.
The checkout space is covered with a hot air balloon and the walls are painted sky blue with puffy white clouds.
The support pillars are disguised as palm trees, completed with bark and coconuts.
In the back, a meadow has grass painted on the walls a dragonflies, ladybugs and butterflies hanging overhead.
“The patients want to avoid the shot room, but everywhere else, they are happy and comfortable,” said practice manager Linda Campbell.
Dr. Carl Hubbell, a pediatrician at the clinic, said their old offices were gray and “claustrophobic.”
“This is a nice, open space. It’s more kid friendly and not as scary.”
It only sounds like a spa.
The office of Beaumont dentist Dr. Dave Carpenter are welcoming soothing and decidingly patientfriendly.
That’s the idea, say medical practitioners whose progressive thinking includes making surroundings less “medicinal.”
Once a year, Carpenter and staff sit down and brainstorm what they can do to make their patients’ experience a good one.
“We came up with three categories of concern,” Carpenter said. “Fear, time and money. We started with feat. Patients told us, ‘I hate the smell of a dentist’s office.”
Carpenter and his staff countered that by baking bread in a bread machine twice a day. The lucky patients who happen to be checking out around 11:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. take a hot loaf home with them.
“We used to eat it, but as you might imagine, we had to quit. We found ourselves wishing we had bought our uniforms one size bigger,” said office manager Jackie Anderson. “Now, we’re happy to give it away.”
Other “atmospheric enhancements” include warm blankets for patients whose body thermostats don’t match those of the doctor and staff, who must wear masks, gloves and smocks or jackets. They also provide neck pillows and warm towels for post-dental comfort, served on a china plate.
Next came time.
Patients told Carpenter “When I walk into an office and there are 10 to 12 people waiting, I know I’m going to be a while.”
There was a time when a full waiting room was a point of pride for a doctor, Carpenter said.
“The thought was, we’re busy so I must be doing a good job,” he explained. “We backed off and got slower.”
When possible, patients are scheduled to have as much done at one time as possible, so they don’t have to miss more work. If they have a long appointment, the staff makes them a smoothie or milkshake as a pick-me-up.
Patients who have extensive work, such as a full mouth restoration, are in for a treat.
Rose Higginbotham, 75, of Beaumont wanted a new smile. Her teeth had “worn down with age” and needed brightening.
“If anybody thinks their teeth are hopeless, it’s not true. He can make them look new,” she said. “Because I spent quite a bit of time in his office, I got to know them very well. It’s a very friendly atmosphere, but they are very professional.”
At the end of her work, Carpenter surprised her with an unusual gift.
“He gave me a dozen red roses. They were very beautiful. I never expected that to happen. I felt like Miss America.”
Other tokens of appreciation include restaurant gift certificates, a gift certificate to a sporting goods store or something else in keeping with the patient’s interest.
And their patients never have to worry about getting wet. If an unexpected shower hits, Carpenter keeps a supply of inexpensive umbrellas to send home with them.
Across town, a big rainbow in front of Beaumonts Pediatrics Center is a tipoff to their child-friendly space.
Inside, children and their parents find a veritable playground fantasy.
The sick baby waiting room looks like Egypt, with a pyramid on the wall and the floor painted like sand dunes.
The well baby waiting room is designed to resemble an igloo, with glass blocks and a padded iceburg slide.
The checkout space is covered with a hot air balloon and the walls are painted sky blue with puffy white clouds.
The support pillars are disguised as palm trees, completed with bark and coconuts.
In the back, a meadow has grass painted on the walls a dragonflies, ladybugs and butterflies hanging overhead.
“The patients want to avoid the shot room, but everywhere else, they are happy and comfortable,” said practice manager Linda Campbell.
Dr. Carl Hubbell, a pediatrician at the clinic, said their old offices were gray and “claustrophobic.”
“This is a nice, open space. It’s more kid friendly and not as scary.”