An unfortunate number of patients have a fear of the dentist. But imagine going to the dentist and having no warning when treatment is about to begin, not getting full explanations of what to expect during treatment, and being more sensitive than most to the vibration of a handpiece. This is a reality for many deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. Although a hearing patient may hear the handpiece and understand that work is about to begin, deaf patients lack such warning and are often taken by surprise. Deaf patients also tend to be more sensitive to vibration, so they find dental treatment to be particularly unpleasant.

While certain simple changes can be made to improve the deaf patient’s experience, technology has allowed patient care to be taken to the next level. Read on to find out more.