Hanging pleasing artwork in your dental office adds to the sense of being welcome that patients feel. It also provides them with something to look at, which in turn can give them something to think about other than the dental procedures that triggered their visits.

This last can be especially important for patients coming in for root canal or other dental procedures they secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) dread. The idea of pain is often worse than the actual pain itself, especially since pain has been permanently put out to pasture by today 's pain-free dentistry techniques.

How do you choose artwork that pleases when not everyone shares the same taste in art?  The trick is to choose artwork that trigger thoughts about subjects that everyone enjoys thinking about. An Impressionist rendering of a garden in the south of France sets people to thinking about idyllic vacations. A painting of snow-capped mountains can inspire a feeling of awe, one children playing on a warm sandy beach can bring back happy childhood memories.

Whichever kind of artwork you choose, make certain it is colorful and cheerful.