A group of British scientists from the University of London claims to have found a method by which they can get rid of panic fear of a drill.
Researchers suggest that patients, when visiting the dentist, wear special headphones through which they can listen to specially selected music or their favorite recordings. The voice of the doctor or nurse will also be able to reach him, and the whistle of the drill will not be passed by the electronic filter. A microphone installed next to the drill will pick up sounds of the exact frequency that needs to be suppressed.
The idea for such a device belongs to Brian Millar, professor at the Dental Institute of the University of London. He, in turn, borrowed it from the designers of the Lotus сar, who tried to reduce the penetration into the cabin of unpleasant road sounds, leaving the driver the opportunity to hear warning signals from other cars.
“ Our device will relieve people of fear of drilling their teeth “, Millar assures. “ It will cost doctors relatively cheap to buy, and playing songs will be generally free if the patient brings his own recordings “.
Mark Atherton, an employee of the School of Design at the University of Brunel, pointed out that it is necessary to maintain the possibility of voice contact of people during treatment.
“ You can’t turn off the patient “, Atherton states. “ He can’t just plug his ears, because the commands and comments of the doctor may be important to him “.
The creators of the device are now looking for investors to produce such a silencer drills on an industrial basis and equip it with as many British dentists as possible.