At initial glance, it may seem like an easy, lighthearted advertisement. It just takes one step into the office in Astor Square Mall to know that Dr. Larry Snyder, D.M.D., F.A.G.D., R.H., makes a very conscientious effort to not only make his patients smile, but to keep them smiling. Since 50 - 60% of the population experiences a dental-phobia, making sure patients smile before and after dental work takes a specialized skill. Dr Snyder, with a background in both psychology and dentistry, has been perfecting his skill of treating dental-phobia for the past 10 years in his Rhinebeck office.

The first room in his Astor Square office is adamantly referred to as the "reception area." Dr. Larry Snyder makes it a point to keep his appointments on time, so he finds no reason to call the room a "waiting room." The reception area is set up to immediately put patients at ease. Patients are greeted with a smile by the receptionist and asked to fill out a few forms. The forms do have some of the typical questions regarding medical history, but included with the standard questions is "What is your music preference." Accompanying the form is a list of available music and whether you want headphones or not. Individualized music is just one of the techniques offered at the Smile Studio to put patients at ease.

Before entering an examination room, Dr. Snyder discusses his patients' past dental experiences with them to learn what it is that they fear about their dental visits. He then explains to them the reasons for phobias, which include such issues as having a sense of control and having a comfortable understanding of what is going to take place. For very severe cases, they might meet for 2 or more sessions without having any dental work done. Dr. Snyder explains that "It's just as important to treat the mind as well as the mouth." He uses visual aids to explain the work and how it will be done, as well as a unique dental version of virtual reality and hypnosis. Since 1993, as a Registered Hypnotist (R.H.), Dr. Snyder has helped people to relax by using the calming, pacing and relaxation techniques of hypnosis. One of the difficult decisions Dr. Snyder faces as he treats the mind is to decide whether the dental work can wait. Often, due to fear, patients are forced to go to a dentist because of an emergency situation. Dr. Snyder balances the need for the mind to be ready to comfortably accept the necessary dental work versus the urgency of that treatment. It's taking notice of the little things that Dr. Larry Snyder focuses on as he "Caters to Cowards." Since most dental-phobia occurs from an experience from the past, Dr. Snyder tries to avoid anything which might trigger an association with that painful past. The scented candles in the office replace the often sterile odor of dental offices. The drills used are fiber optic, low noise drills, which are all heat-sterilized. Dr. Snyder believes that "The fiber optic drill is one of the most important inventions that has affected my dental career. It reduces the fear associated with the typical high pitched drill, making people much more at ease." Patients can relax through the variety of Virtual Reality skits at the office. Even the bird feeder on the window in one of the three examination rooms is part of the overall effort to put patients at ease.

Dr. Snyder's dentistry skills have received recognition, and in 1990 he was given a very high honor in dentistry, the Fellowship in The Academy of General Dentistry (F.A.G.D.). In his attention to detail, Dr. Snyder often calls his patient's physician with questions or concerns. He also makes every effort to be available for his patients, by having Saturday, emergency and evening hours, and having phone calls forwarded to his home. As I was talking with Dr. Snyder he received a call from a man who had just lost a tooth from his dentures. An appointment was made for the next day to have the tooth replaced. The office is equipped with a laboratory where Dr. Snyder can do repairs, among other laboratory work. So, Dr. Snyder's patient will have his denture repaired in 15 minutes instead of having to wait for an outside laboratory to do the work.

Continuing care and prevention is another of Dr. Snyder's concerns. He has videos on how to care for teeth and gums. As much as Dr. Snyder is available for emergencies, he feels most successful when he can change someone's life by helping them to care for their own teeth. To make this change happen, especially in people who are dental-phobic, Dr. Snyder doesn't see a lot of patients, but spends a lot of time with the patients he does see. Since prevention and care is critical to maintaining a healthy smile, Dr. Snyder usually sends patients home with a goody bag, filled with dental products he endorses. It's another example of his attention to detail, as he provides high quality service, he also provides high quality products.

For more information about the Smile Studio, call Dr. Snyder, D.M.D., F.A.G.H., R.H. at 876-2628, or write to him at Astor Square Mall, Route 9,PO Box 781, Rhinebeck, NY 12572. Coward or no coward, he will give you a reason to smile!!