Most modern dental chairs are “smart” dental chairs. This simply means that they are usually fully adjustable, are on a pedestal, and have an engine that generates power for other compartments of the chair.
Smart dental chairs are made of plastic, metal, or a combination of both. They are also usually antimicrobial, which helps prevent the spread of germs between different patients and the dental team.
Unlike at a doctor’s office, dental patients are always in the chair, no matter what procedure they’re getting done. Although the majority of people probably don’t notice the chair they sit in when visiting the dentist, dental professionals know that condition of the dental chair is pretty important when it comes to patient experience. One stidy found that patients can experience a 40% reduction in spinal pressure when the dentist decreases the chair’s angle by just 20 degrees. If you’re lying down in an uncomfortable position for an hour while getting your teeth cleaned, you’re not going to look back on your visit very fondly.
Text courtesy of the The Stanley Institute for Comprehensive Dentistry