A trip to the dentist used to be referred to as a visit to the "murder house" but there are no blood-curdling screams coming from Jennifer Corson's Tauranga surgery. Quite the opposite. Those sitting nervously in the waiting room at her Willow St practice are more likely to hear peels oflaughter. That is because Dr Corson has a novel way of distracting her patients from the grinding of the drill. Once reclined in the chair, they are looking not at the ceiling but at a television screen, on which can be played a DVD of their choice. "Patients don't have to talk to me, and they don't have to hear the drill, which everyone hates," says Dr Corson. "I do a lot of cosmetic work, so some people are in here for two hours at a time. I had one patient watch both Bridget Jones' Diary movies. If you're here for a couple of hours, it's like being on a big plane trip." The "menu" that patients can choose from includes 24 DVDs of comedy, cooking, fishing, cars, documentaries and movies. Absolutely Fabulous is a favourite with women, while men tend to go for Jeremy Clarkson and angling. Some people even bring in their own DVDs. Patient Ngaire Barugh says a trip to the dentist used to be one of her biggest fears. "It was horrendous. I hated it ... the terrible drill and sitting there holding on tight." But now it's more akin to spending time at a beauty spa. "You forget you're actually at the dentist. You're totally relaxed." There is, however, one small disadvantage. Dental assistant Carolyn Falleni remembers the first time Mrs Barugh paid a visit to their surgery. "We had to keep stopping because she kept cracking up. People in the waiting room could hear her laughing. Apparently there were a few odd looks."
