New Dental Anxiety Society Launches
New hope and encouragement has come to those who suffer from dental anxiety thanks to the formation of the ISDAM or the International Society of Dental Anxiety Management.
From the ISDAM website:
There are numerous dental anxiety management techniques and the society will bring together all psychological, pharmacological, clinical, technological etc techniques utilised in helping people overcome their fears and phobias.
Dr. Mike Gow one of the founding members has built a large successful practice based on helping those with dental anxiety cope with the stress of a dental visit. Dr. Gow has also been a pioneer in new techniques for helping those who suffer from dental anxiety. The society will also include the work for Dr. Rick Varlinsky a psychologist and researcher on the cutting edge of stress and dental anxiety therapies.
Congratulations to ISDAM on their formation and best of luck to them in their work!
More Feedback on b-Calm
b-Calm continues to make a difference in the lives of dental patients and in practices of dental professionals. Recently, Dr. Fraser Hendrie took time to write about his experience with the system. Read about his success with b-Calm
b-Calm Makes Headlines in the UK
The b-Calm system has recently been tested by Dr. Mike Gow at the Berkeley Clinic in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. Gowis a widely recognized dentist and winner of Best Young Dentist in both Scotland and the UK at the Dentistry Awards 2008.
Dr. Gow has built his highly successful practice by offering the most advanced techniques and technologies to patients. He specializes in helping patients who have high dental anxieties and fears. His use of the b-Calm system has added significantly to his practice and has garnered the attention of regional media.
b-Calm Makes California Debut
An Answer to the Fear: New System set to Reinvent Trip to the Dentist
Chico dental anxiety coach praises system making Calif. debut in Redding
CHICO, California – Thirty million to 50 million Americans are so fearful of the dentist they will avoid treatment, only seeking help when the pain becomes debilitating. Sadly, when they do arrive at the dentist office, these patients often find little available to help calm their fears. But a local doctor who is nationally recognized for his work with patients who suffer from severe dental anxiety says a device making its California debut in Redding will change all that.
Dr. Rich Varlinsky, a dental anxiety coach and researcher, has been studying dental anxiety for 10 years. He notes that dentistry has made tremendous advances in tools and techniques during the past 50 years, painlessly restoring and improving teeth that were once routinely removed.
“However, the problem of dental anxiety remains largely unaddressed. What we’ve found is a tremendous need for coping strategies that can put patients with serious dental fear at ease,” Dr. Varlinsky said. “Unfortunately, aside from anti-anxiety medications or oral and IV sedation, dentist have very little to offer as solutions for anxious or phobic patients. Also, many people cannot or choose not to use sedation or other medications. They would welcome a non-medication alternative but usually there is not anything that the dentist can offer. It is truly an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.”
Varlinsky said it is only in the past three years that new technology has come to market that stands to make a difference. Dr. Ken Budke, a practicing dentist himself for over 30 years, knows all too well the complaints and fears of patients.
“I can give someone a local anesthetic for the pain, but I had nothing available for their fear. My staff and I would go out of our way to be friendly and caring with our patients but that was often not enough,” recalled Budke, who lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa. “I found the fear was often related to the sound of the dental drill.”
With that knowledge, Dr. Budke started b-Calm, LLC. Working with acoustics researchers, Budke developed the b-Calm AudioSedation system – a simple audio player built especially for the dental office. The system contains a unique blend of nature sounds and noise masking signals which Budke uses to significantly calm his patients by giving them noise relief. “When you block even a portion of the disturbing sounds in a dental office, you give a fearful patient a real mental escape from what is usually a frightening experience,” he said.
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Now b-Calm is making its California debut. Dr. John Sutherland in Redding is the first California dentist in the state to implement b-Calm into a dental practice. In another ground-breaking step, Sutherland is teaming with Varlinsky to study the system’s effectiveness. So far, the results have been impressive.
“I use b-Calm on my patients with an aversion to the high-frequency whine of my high-speed hand piece. b-Calm blocks much of the sound my patients associate with their fears,” Sutherland said. “By blocking and masking that sound they can relax more and reduce the anxiety associated with dental treatment. I am committed to using the b-Calm system and hope more dentists will explore it because it’s extremely easy to use and it works.”
Varlinsky added, “I believe that the b-Calm system represents the first significant advance in dental anxiety treatment we have seen in the past 75 years. It is a non-invasive system that can be easily implemented in any dental setting. I recommend this device to the dental offices I work with. This system represents a beacon of hope for those trapped by dental anxiety and fear.”
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b-Calm Featured in “Dentistry Today”
b-Calm was recently featured in the December issue of Dentistry Today.
The review, written by Dr. George Freedman expounded on the features and benefits of the b-Calm system as well as the positive effect on patients:
The calming sounds [of b-Calm] relieve anxiety and decrease stress to the patient, which in turn decreases stress in the dental team.
-Dentistry Today, December 2009
It is often overlooked how much the stress being experienced by the dental patient is picked up second hand by the dentist and assistants during the course of the procedure. When the stress to the patient is effectively addressed, the results benefit not just the patient, but the entire dental office.
b-Calm represents a economical and simple method of reducing stress from the patient to the dentist. As the b-Calm is integrated into the practice, patients will enjoyed an improved experience and dentists will be able to serve more patients better. Dentistry today sums it up best by saying:
b-Calm is sound advice for audio sedation.
-Dentistry Today, December 2009
b-Calm Featured on Evening News
Press Release
Ankeny, IA
9 May 2008
b-Calm Featured by KCCI News Channel 8 in Des Moines, IA
The work of Dr. Budke was recently acknowledged by KCCI and featured on the 10pm evening news.
b-Calm Dental Debut
Press Release
Ankeny, IA
14 January 2008
b-Calm, llc. Announces Debut of New Patient Management Technology
Dr. Ken Budke, founder of b-Calm, LLC. is pleased to introduce the new patient management system b-Calm. b-Calm™ is a unique new personal audio system designed to relieve dental patients from the disturbing noises generated by the dental drill and other hand pieces. In addition, the proprietary AudioSedation technology promotes a calm and relaxed mind. The result is less stressful more pleasant dental visits.
Dr. Budke, a practicing dentist of 35 years, began development of the b-Calm™ system in 2003 after numerous patient comments on the disturbing nature of drill noise. A variety of solutions were explored and tested both by academic and industry noise control experts. The result is the patent pending AudioSedation technology. Through the unique blend of noise mitigating signals optimized around the sounds in the dental environment, the noise generated by the dental drill and other handpieces is disguised thus making it unrecognizable to the human ear. These signals are blended into live high-fidelity recording of nature that have been proven to promote a low-stress and calm mental state.
To provide a complete solution that would be compatible with the dental office environment the b-Calm™ system was design to be hygienic as well. The foundation of this is a disposable earphone tip that is easily replaced after each use. This tip insures not only good acoustic performance, but hygienic safety as well. Other portions of the system are designed to be easily cleaned. A disposable plastic sleeve is also available to use over the control unit for further patient protection.
Patients who have tested the b-Calm™ system have remarked at the effectiveness of the device in mitigating the drill noise. Other comments note that dental procedures seemed shorter in duration. As a result, it is expected that dentists using the b-Calm™ system will be able to provide better more effective care and encourage routine visits from patients normally fearful of the dentist chair.
b-Calm LLC. is currently seeking additional distribution partners and expects to fully launch the product in the first quarter of 2008. For further information log onto
http://www.b-calmdental.com
