Community Magazine March 2003

24 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s ” xc T he term “Dentist Music” usu- ally conjures up in your imag- ination the old Muzak™ instrumentals playing in some ele- vator or department store. Over the years, the type of music being played in dentist offices, elevators and depart- ment stores has definitely changed. The main reason for that change is that the audience of today grew up on rock-n-roll, heavy metal and other less than mellow musical venues. In the past I have tried many different sources for my office background music. I did not want to have vocals for religious reasons. At first I tried WPAT-FM “radio music”. When that didn’t work I tried instru- mental CD’s, until finally I came full circle and called the people at Muzak™. I was delighted to find that they had exactly the kind of music I was looking for. Muzak™ calls what they do “audio architechture.” For about $48 a month, the Muzak™ system is piped into your office by satellite dish. You have a selection of over 100 “channels”. Each channel repre- sents a different style of music. It took a few weeks to decide which channel was right for our office. “Easy Instrumental” has just the right level of mellow easy lis- tening to soothe frazzled nerves. Many people have come in to our office and after listening to the music ask us “It’s so relax- ing, what radio station is that?” When I tell them it’s not a radio it’s Muzak™ they laugh. “You mean elevator music!” Some have even taken down the number to order a subscription. The reason I put so much effort into the kind of music I chose is based on scientific proof that the right music makes a differ- ence. There is strong research proving that music has a true analgesic effect. Studies by the Florida State University Center of Music Research found that a combination of mellow music and “novacaine” during dental treatment significantly reduced the patient’s blood pressure and pulse rate compared with the use of “novacaine” alone. One study indicates that patients who heard mellow music tended to have lower levels of two stress-related hor- mones, cortisol and noradrenalin. For most people the sound of the drill is a source of conditioned anxiety. For those patients, headphones help to mask the sound of the drill and may act as a neurological sup- pressor of pain. Most people associate pain with the den- tist’s drill. Music can act like a security blanket. It also changes the patient’s attitude - they find it relaxing. According to the American Association of Music Therapy - “Simply put, music can heal people.” If you have an office or store and you’re tired of “radio music” or CD’s, why not look into Muzak™? It may be just the right background you’ve been looking for. 1-800-223-0686. Dr. Doueck has practiced restorative den- tistry in the community for over 25 years and has taken over 1000 hours of advanced training. He is a clinical con- sultant to the Dental Advisor, a monthly publication. He is certified by the Academy of Laser Dentistry. His Associate Dr. Alan Azrak is a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry. His associate Dr. Jack Kassab has advanced training in Family Dentistry. Dentist Music B Y : J A C Q U E S D O U E C K D D S CM