Making the dentist’s chair less painful

Had my teeth cleaned for my 6-month check-up today and thought about how things have changed since I was a kid.

There have always been magazines in the waiting room, but now dentists offer some cool perks:

Blankets: This is a great idea. During a recent, seemingly endless visit for a root canal, I made the assistant leave the giant X-ray shielding vest on me because I was freezing to death. Not a moment afterwards, the dentist had her replace it with a blanket. Relaxing and soothing, this must have been inspired by …
Sedation dentistry: For those who stress about their visit or, as I do, just tense up the whole time someone is poking around inside your mouth, nitrous oxide may be a good option. It’s another way to more effectively deliver a service, ensuring a good experience for the patient and helping the dentist get work done efficiently.
Music over headphones: If you don’t want gas to relax, music can be a great option. As on flights, I think comedy would be a good idea too, although I guess laughing could be disruptive.
Sunglasses: This was my favorite new thing, courtesy of my odontologist (root canal specialist. Yes, two root canals in one year. Yuck.) That blinding light is right above your head, and shades were just what I needed to block it out and chill out. (This guy’s trick was to have you raise your hand if it hurt, although I preferred to stick to my old method of yelling.)

Now that I’ve researched the topic more, I find dentists, doctors and other medical practice are offering tons of new services – both free and paid – to differentiate their practices and be more profitable. From stylish decor to hand waxes and aromatherapy, these practices are offering some surprises.

If you were to add one thing that NO ONE else in your line of business does, what would it be? Make sure that it adds value as well as surprises.