A calming space for children visiting the dentist

A new sensory room has been introduced at the Paediatric Dentistry Department at King’s College Dental Institute, Denmark Hill, made possible through our funding. Designed as a calming environment, it is already helping children who may find dental visits challenging feel more at ease.

A picture of the new room with sensory toys to play with

For children with learning disabilities, autism, or ADHD, the sights, sounds and busyness of a typical waiting area can be distressing and lead to heightened anxiety. The newly opened Paediatric Dentistry Sensory Room offers a safe and quiet space where children can regain calm and feel more at ease before their appointments.

We are grateful [our son] does not have to wait in the noisy waiting room, as he would be very overwhelmed.

A parent whose child has benefited from the room

As well as supporting children who are neurodivergent, the sensory room also provides a valuable alternative for clinically vulnerable and immunosuppressed children. When the main waiting area is busy, they can wait in the sensory room to minimise contact with others and reduce potential health risks.

Making our patients feel safe and building trust is fundamental in their development

Paige Holdaway, Practice Development Coordinator for the department

Paige Holdaway, Practice Development Coordinator for the department, explained:

“We see in excess of 12,500 out-patients annually, 65% of which have additional needs or medical complexities.

"Making our patients feel safe and building trust is fundamental in their development as they will have to visit the dentist for many years.

"Having a space that isn’t overwhelming with medical equipment will be a great tool to acclimatise children to accessing care, and also offers an area for patients to calm down if they become angry and lose control of their emotions.”

Supporting our young patients

Parents are already seeing the benefits. One parent whose child recently used the sensory room shared:

“This room is a fantastic area, and my son is really enjoying the space, especially interacting with the play features on the walls. We are grateful he does not have to wait in the noisy waiting room, as he would be very overwhelmed.”

This project was funded through our Crown Fund – a grant scheme that allows King’s staff to apply for funding for ideas that can improve patient experience. Supported by the generosity of our donors, the Crown Fund helps turn ideas into real changes that have a big impact.