Feeling a touch of terror as the dentist moves the drill closer to your face? Perhaps some tunes emanating from the tool will assuage your anxiety.
That's the idea behind Dr. Dhanni Gustiana's musical drill. The dentist from Java, Indonesia, modified a regular dental drill to play MP3s instead of its usual ominous high-pitched buzzing. The drill even takes requests, though I'd highly recommend staying away from Slayer or Cannibal Corpse.
Gustiana spent 6 million rupiah (about $595) on the instrument, which he created especially to calm younger patients. In various studies, kids wisely identified the drill as public enemy No. 1 at the dentist's office.
In addition to being configured to play tunes, the drill features flashing lights and cute little rubber toys that can be placed on the drill's head.
"The patient will hear the music louder when they open their mouths compared to when they close their mouths," the Daily Mail quotes Gustiana as saying.
Gustiana presented his singing device at the International Dental Congress in Greece earlier this year, so as long as patients can resist the urge to chair-dance, it hopefully will end up in more dental offices. I, for one, plan to start compiling my drill playlist.
