Newly remodeled Dental House of Washington brings calm, fun to dental appointments

Forget about all of the old images that come to mind when you think about going to the dentist. They simply do not apply when you enter the Dental House of Washington located at 525 S, on IA-1 in Washington.

For starters, the reception area is newly remodeled. In fact, the entire building, which has housed a dental practice for 29 years, received a major updating in March. There are refreshments for patients while they wait and plenty of toys for children to play with. For those waiting the meet Dr. Bates, instead of elevator music, they might hear noise that sounds like a party coming from an exam room. Much care is taken to eliminate any fear, trepidation, concern or pain associated with dentistry in this office and the patients seem to appreciate that fact.

There is also a major emphasis on getting parents to bring their children in at an early age. Dr. Bates said babies should be brought in for an exam when they have their first tooth or when they reach age one, whichever comes first. The exam is as important for the education of the parents as it

is for the health of the child, she said.

Since coming to Washington from Ft. Dodge, Dr. Bates has added several new services to her practice. Patients no longer need to travel out of town to get implants. That process can be done completely in the Dental House of Washington facility. Dr. Bates said more and more people are turning to implants as the cost of this option is rapidly decreasing. While implants once cost between $6,000 and $8,000, they now run around $3,500 she said.

The practice also provides Invisalign teeth aligners and Botox cosmetic and therapeutic treatments. Dr. Bates said she uses a variety of techniques to put patients at ease during procedures. She said she understands their anxiety and works with them on a case-by-case basis to make sure they are comfortable. Some patients dislike the noise that dental instruments make. For those people, there are noise canceling headphones or headphones with music. Patients can even listen to their own digital music on headphones. There are mounted television sets to watch, oral sedation to help relax patients and even a buffer to ease the normal burning sensation of the initial shot of anesthetic. The practice is on the waiting list for a therapy dog that could also help to calm some patients.

Dr. Bates estimates that about 30 to 50 percent of people in the country do not go to the dentist until they feel pain. By that time, serious issues with teeth and gums may have been developed that could have been avoided if they had visited their dentist twice a year … the frequency covered by most

dental insurance plans.

The staff includes two dentists, three dental assistants, two hygienists and two people at the front desk.