Planmeca helps children overcome fear of the dentist at Helsinki Child Fair

The foundations of oral health and health care are already laid in childhood. A dental care routine is developed even before your first day of school, from daily brushing of your teeth to regular visits to the dentist. At the same time, technological advances are revolutionising dentistry, making dental treatment safer, more comfortable and more efficient. Yet in many countries the oral health of children is still on the decline.

One reason behind this could be the common fear of dentists and dental treatment. Many adults say they experience at least some degree of anxiety prior to a dental appointment. At worst, a fearful person may choose not to go to the dentist altogether, leaving a debilitating and possibly even life-threatening dental problem untreated. Such anxiety can easily carry over to children as well, and a fear of the unknown and the strangeness of the clinical environment can also turn kids away from the dentist. Such fears can lead to a serious aversion to dental visits that is difficult to overcome in later life.

Planmeca dental unit a hit with the children

As a leader in dental technology, Planmeca Group is committed to better dental health and care all over the world. On the road to this goal, it is important that visits to the dentist become an ordinary part of life already at an early age. In April this year, Planmeca Group took part in the Finnish “Lapsimessut” Child Fair at the Messukeskus Expo and Convention Centre in Helsinki by providing the stand of the City of Helsinki’s Dental Care Service with a Planmeca Sovereign® Classic dental unit for children to try out at the fair.

Planmeca Sovereign® Classic dental unit at the Child Fair in Helsinki, Finland

At the stand, the fair’s young visitors had the opportunity to explore what a dental visit is like and get a feel for the dental office. The comfortable and delightfully pink Planmeca dental unit proved to be a huge success. Many of the children visiting the stand had a forthcoming dental appointment and wanted to feel what it is like to sit in the chair. The unit became such a popular attraction that it generated a queue at the stand. Seeing the other kids’ excitement and mustering his own courage, one hesitant little boy even turned back from the fair exit just to try the chair out.

The last word in patient comfort

Planmeca dental units are designed with the ultimate patient comfort in mind. An important part of a positive experience at the dental office is that the patient feels relaxed and well looked after. Here the dental unit plays a key role. Planmeca’s dental units adapt perfectly to patients of any shape or size, be they children or adults, and come in a range of stylish and inviting colours, easing the discomfort a patient of any age may feel before treatment.

Developing a dental care routine at an early age is critical not only to understanding the importance of oral health, but to counteracting negative preconceptions about dental treatment. Planmeca Group continues to work towards these goals with forward-thinking product design as well as by spreading awareness of the importance of dental health and care all over the world. Oral health is the key to a healthy life!

PlanHippo on Planmeca Sovereign® Classic dental unit (By: Benjamin Hokkanen)

Photos by: Thea Mandelin 
Text by: Aleksandra Nyholm