WARNING: Content contained in this video could make your skin crawl

I can't think of another doctor's office where the sounds coming from exam rooms evoke such a visceral, physical response. It doesn't just sound like a drill; I pray that I am not next; I feel the unpleasant vibration of the drill inside my own head. I was there for an emergency fit-in visit. So I asked permission to record audio and arrived in time to scout the location and form a plan. Every room was full with some type of activity. Call it a symphony of sound or call it a cacophony of sound, "The Dentist Chair" leaves little to the imagination.

Site Survey at the Dentist's Office!

Dentist's Office, afternoon, busy end of day
Soundscape Recording Opportunities List
  • Water
  • Suction tube
  • Doctor talking-explaining to patient
  • Doctor and Nurse talking
  • Doctor asking for tools
  • Nurse instructing patient
  • Drilling, electric buffing tool
  • Tools Clinking
  • Grinding
  • Tools making sounds in doctor’s hands
  • Machine mixing materials for fillings
  • Autoclave and sterilizing equipment-washing
  • Taking patients back to rooms
  • Answering patient questions
  • Cleaning teeth with electronic tools
  • Sitting back in leather dental chair
  • Opening plastic sealed packages
  • Taking X-Rays
  • Diagnosis and plan discussion
  • Showing what's on images, explaining
  • Other patient rooms down the hall
  • Scheduling next appointments
  • Asking questions “Will it hurt?”
  • Track with office sounds and environmental noise

What This Looks Like in the Timeline of an Adobe Premiere Pro Project
Sound Source Map 

Audio Layer 1: A place for various dialogue files recorded in the office to be layered in with the main Nurse/Doctor Audio Track (A2). I saved the Audio Essentials pre-set from A2 and copied it to A1, but I made a few small adjustments in A1 so that the two layers would sound like they came from different locations within the office or exam room.
Audio Layer 2: An audio layer of dialogue that were mostly very close to the dental chair. I used Audio Essentials to create a close-up sound by taking out other noises (like the streamed music in the office) and lowered the reverb.
Audio Layer 3: This is technically a Sound Effects layer in Audio Essentials. These are the dental office sounds throughout the office that are still meant to be heard but not over the primary dialogue channels.)
  • The audio effects layer in this production is vital because it sets and maintains the scene and complexity of the activities happening live on location.
  • To establish the scene and grab the listener's attention from the start, this production opens with the loud and close-up sound of a dental drill and suction. (10 seconds)
Audio Layer 4: This is the ambient noise audio layer edited in Audio Essentials to maintain a constant office environment sound.
Audio Layer 5: Also an ambient sound layer, but I added it so that I could overlap the music streaming in the office for a more impactful end to the soundscape production.

Office Layout and Flow

Sounds were recorded in all of these spaces in the sprawling  dental office.
Ambiance layers were recorded in the reception area and consultation room. (Pictures 1-3, Row 1)
Dialogue layers were recorded in an exam room and the consultation room. (Pictures 4-6, Row 2)
The Sound Effect layer was recorded in the hallway outside of patient rooms as well as inside rooms, close to patients, doctor, assistants, and dental tools. (Pictures 7-9, Row 3)
Reflections:
I used the Voice Record Pro App on my iPhone. It has been a reliable go-to for many years. The audio files save on my phone, and I can format and export them in a dozen ways. Because I had discussed my goals with the doctor and staff, I was able to get the microphone close to the sound source, and they were happy to work their tools around the phone which was sometimes right where they needed to maneuver their hands. In other patient rooms, I asked permission of the patient and sometimes parent to record audio and showed them the App on my phone and how it worked. They were happy to assist with my grad. school project... sometimes too happy. I did try to cut out all of the giggling.

Today my DJI Mics came in, and it would have been nice to have had them that day. However, I was able to isolate sounds surprisingly well with just my phone, the App, and audio effects in PremierePro. More complex gear in this scenario would have probably seemed obtrusive in a busy medical office environment.