Few topics get feathers ruffled as much as the selection of music in the dental practice. I do wish there were as much interest, discussion and emotion related to the quality of care or patient service issues, but the unfortunate truth is that music is one of the most hotly debated topics amongst members of the team. I often enter this debate when I visit the practices of our clients. Remember that I pay particular attention to the sounds (as well as sights and smells) which might greet the patients. I have a critical ear, not because I’m a professional music critic, but because I want to help our clients see things through different eyes. Music can and should have a powerful impact in the practice. The question is whether the impact will positively contribute to the culture or detract from it. The first thing we all can celebrate is that the old-fashioned Muzak approach to dental office music has gone the way of carbon paper. I don’t know about you, but I got pretty tired of the jokes about elevator and dental office music. Indeed, the old format of easy- listening selections were mostly along the lines of The Norman Luboff Choir Sings Hip Hop or The HollyRidge Strings play Guns and Roses’ Greatest Hits.

 

That brings up the most fundamental question. What is the purpose of music in the office? There has been much discussion about this. Many dentists believe music plays a role in calming patients in much the same way a colorful fish tank provides a soothing sight. I don’t believe that is necessarily the case. One person’s calming elixir is another’s poison. In fact, the wide range of musical tastes (as opposed to preferences in tropical fish) is one of the challenges (as well as one of the great

joys) in selecting music. One of the first things you must understand is that it will be very difficult to make everyone happy all the time. It may be possible to arrive at a combination of musical offerings to fit your specific situation, however. I believe that the purpose of any music is to contribute to an atmosphere or environment which is conducive to the work being done. It isn’t to keep the staff hoppin’ throughout a long day (Sorry). It isn’t to make the dentist happy, either. That should end the argument over whether the dentist’s or the staff member’s tastes will dominate. If the music is going to contribute positively it must extend beyond individual tastes and create a positive, supportive feeling in the office.

 

The next question is what to play? There are three typical approaches to music in dental practices. The most common is FM radio. The second is compact discs. The third is nothing. There are problems with each approach. Frankly, there is no perfect option. But you can get closer to perfection with a little forethought and a small investment. Here are a few guidelines which I hope will help you.

 

 

 

It should not dominate the environment. There are two exceptions. In a pediatric or orthodontic practice, the music may become a part of the culture. One of our orthodontist clients selected a rock and roll theme for his practice and the centerpiece of the facility is a vintage Rock-ola jukebox loaded with selections from the 1950’s. There is a lot of fun in the clinical area, and in this unique situation, it works. The second exception is what we used to call The Rio Tape. I’ll tell you about that a bit later.

 

 

 

The banter is mostly inane and inappropriate for a professional office. The commercials are loud and offensive and the reliance on sexual innuendo makes many people squirm.

 

 

3. Avoid classical music stations.

 

True, they don’t have loud, screaming disc jockeys, but classical music has frequent crescendos followed by soft passages. It is almost impossible to regulate the volume on classical music, so you can experience very loud phrases followed by long periods when the notes simply cannot be heard.

 

 

4. Avoid commercial stations, generally.

 

Commercials are always designed to wrest your attention away from the task at hand. They are very effective in doing so.

 

 

 

That means no singing. Yikes! But think about it. If people are distracted by disc jockey banter and familiar words to popular songs, they can’t concentrate on important conversations. That goes for both patients and team members. You can supply patients individual headphones to listen to their personal selections when you are ready to commence with clinical services, but you wouldn’t want a patient to be in musical lala land when you were discussing treatment options. I often hear team members singing along with Elton John while assisting or performing other clinical services. Patients rightly wonder about attention to detail when the distraction is that obvious.

 

 

 

When the high speed handpieces are going, the sterilizer is hissing and the suction is sucking, you won’t hear much music, but you will hear the incessant thump, thump, thump of the drums. If you aren’t sure about a selection, test it with all your equipment going full bore.

 

 

 

Enough said.

 

So what is left? Pleasant sounds are still available, and can represent many differenttastes. On one extreme, chamber music and baroque are two forms of classical music which don’t have the limitations of symphonies and etudes. International music: Irish, Chilean, Andean, African, South American and Caribbean selections are almost universally upbeat, pleasant and happy sounding. A visit to the instrumental section of any well-stocked music store or going online to iTunesshould yield a wealth of ideas. There are a few recognized labels, such as Windham Hill and Narada, which are dedicated to melodic instrumental recordings. These are readily available. And yes, Yanni works. Now how about variety? I suggest you download your selections to a computer-driven audio unit. Select a generous amount of music, say 300 plus songs. You can arrange your music in groups, program them to play in a specific order to suit the time of day or set the player to random play to mix it all up. You can also instruct the player to ignore any tracks you want to exclude, like holiday tunes that are out of season. With a generous selection, it is not likely anyone will become bored or tormented by the repetition of a few pieces as long as reasonable tolerance is exercised for others’ tastes.

 

Now, The Rio Tape. Every once in a while the air in the practice gets so heavy and sluggish that you think you won’t see the day’s end. You feel like you’re working in slow motion. You need a pick me up. We found this happening toward the end of the week about 2:30 in the afternoon. So, we made a Rio tape. We included every song about Rio de Janeiro we could find. Somehow, songs about Rio are breezy, uplifting and rejuvenating. (Check out Pablo Cruise’s “I go to Rio” — old, but very lively to set the tone.) Yes, these songs often included words. And yes, we did sing along. But we never played it when we were working with a new patient or when a patient might have misunderstood our revelry. And we never played it if we were involved in a serious discussion with a patient. You can do the same with your digital selection of tunes.

 

Music can add to the culture of your practice or become a droning nuisance. It can also become the focus of team dissention. I hope these ideas will stimulate your discussion and help you find the solution that is right for you. And don’t forget, your focus must first and foremost be on your patients. Solve the problem of musical variety in a way that will help you to stay focused on what really matters.