Did you remodel your dental office this past year? If so, did you make use of Pantone’s® Color of the Year for 2010? According to Pantone® the color for 2010 was Turquoise (Pantone® 15-5519). If you wanted to keep your dental office on the cutting edge then I’m sure you worked with your dental office designer to incorporate turquoise into your office color scheme.

According to Pantone® Turquoise, “…Combin[es] the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, … evok[ing] thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.” Isn’t this exactly the mood you want to set for your dental office atmosphere?

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

If you are in the process of planning a new dental office design or are working with a dental office designer, consider including the calming effects of Turquoise in your design plans. Remember, the aim is to create an atmosphere that reduces patient anxiety so they will want to return and tell all of their friends about the positive experience they had in your dental office.