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14 | James Hubbard's My Family Doctor | The Magazine That Makes Housecalls Y ou're in a dentist's office. Wait! Don't panic. Take a big whiff. What do you smell? Is that … lavender? If thinking about the dentist conjures up images of painful drills, stinky clinical rooms, and incessant grinding and squealing noises, boy, are you out of the loop! Pull up your massage chair and turn on your iPod. It's time for a lesson in modern den- tistry. Today's dentist is all about com- fort, friendliness and all-encompass- ing services. We asked 18 of them what trends you should know about. (Check out some of their bios on page 16.) Here's the rundown on what you can look for to make your next dental visit a walk in the—spa! PAInLESS DEnTISTRy Painless dentistry has been around for years. What's different today are the more effective methods. There are topical anesthetics that numb you before the injection, says Dr. Barr. Haven't had a cleaning for a while? Get your gums numbed with gel, says Dr. Gross. And some dentists use high-speed cleaners "that go so fast they have almost no vibration, which means very little pain," says Dr. Dan- iel Smith. Injected anesthesia is also dif- ferent these days. Rarely do you leave with half your jaw and tongue numb. "We can simply numb a single tooth," Dr. Kosinski says. Dr. Tiu likes a technique called slow-injection anesthesia that's less painful. And then there's laser dentistry. "Most patients can have fillings done without anes- thesia, utilizing a laser that has no vibration and no cold water running in the mouth," says Dr. Daniel Smith. The key is to find out whether your dentist prac- tices methods like these. "Unfortunately, many of these techniques are not successfully taught at dental schools," Dr. Goldberg says. Dentists often have to learn about them on their own. Dr. Tiu suggests just asking the office. "If the staff or other people you talk to are raving about a dentist, chances are he or she is pretty good at delivering painless dentistry." EnTERTAInInG DISTRACTIOnS You've seen televisions in dentists' offices for years. But today, you might get your own personal headphones to go with your own personal screen. "Soft music, video games, wireless Internet and television are just a few examples of the tools that we have at our disposal to create a positive dental experience," says Dr. Gross. Some offices even loan you an iPod. "Keeping your mind busy with al- ternative thoughts will make the visit quicker and less emotionally pain- ful," says Dr. Dan- iel Smith. Top-5 Trends at the Dentist Why you shouldn't be scared any more!