USA TODAY NEWSPAPER STORY

Dentists brush up on spa therapy to relax patients By Olivia Barker Reprinted with special permission

Open up and say ''Aaaahhh.'' Tamar Braxton is an open-mouthed fan. ''It's like a first-class flight to Paris,'' gushes Braxton, 23. The singer's famous sister, Toni, also Dentists across the USA are turning their offices into veritable spas, has slid into King's chair. With the paraffin hand treatments, ''I don't complete with massages, personalized music and facials. Patients have to pay the extra $15 at the nail spa.'' getting a root canal can watch DVDs while indulging in foot, leg, back and hand rubdowns. Snuggled up with a pillow and blanket, local radio disc jockey As dental insurance plans shrink, patients are forking over more of Mairym ''Monte'' Carlo, 26, felt ''like I was sleeping'' as King their own money for procedures. And with so many patients picky attached porcelain veneers to eight of her top teeth. ''I've had a more about where those out-of-pocket dollars go, dentists are finding horrific time shopping for a pair of jeans,'' she says. newer, more pampering ways to draw them in. At what's been touted as the Four Seasons of dentistry, 21st Century Though a few pioneers strapped massage mats to their chairs a Dental in Irving, Texas, patients receive sterling service at the end of decade ago, the notion is only now catching on, particularly in their appointments: Ibuprofen, lip balm, a hot towel and a milkshake trendy cities such as New York and L.A. are presented on a silver tray. ''We try to put ourselves in the place of the patient: What would make them forget this is a dental office?'' ''You're in another world, you're psychologically divorced from your explains Kent Smith, one of the practice's two primary dentists. teeth,'' says dentist Paul Tanners, whose Manhattan office recently started employing a massage therapist. A plasma-screen TV in the reception area is one way. Another is the scented candles lit during procedures. The patient's 10 or 11 favorite The response is ''almost embarrassing,'' says Tanners, in practice for tunes are floated through cordless headphones and burned onto a 40 years. ''Patients say, 'Dr. Tanners, we're coming in for the massage, CD. The disc goes home with them as a souvenir. not you.' '' Spa owners aren't exactly concerned about the competition. ''When At Debra Gray King's Atlanta office, those undergoing whitening can you go to the dentist, you don't think about rejuvenation,'' says Tara tuck their feet into furry massage boots, shield their eyes with Oolie, whose Manhattan spa, Just Calm Down, opened last week. puffiness-reducing pads and dip their hands into hot paraffin before wrapping them in mittens. ''It puts you into this Zen, relaxation You may get your feet rubbed, but ''you're not going to get your state,'' King says. ''We want to do away with the reservations so many brows tweezed,'' Oolie says. ''If you go in with unruly brows, you'll people have about going to the dentist. We want to make this a place leave with them.' people actually look forward to.'' © Copyright 2002 USA TODAY. Reprinted with permission. Simple ways to achieve the Dental Spa

These comments are from the ‘Practice Management’ and ‘Dental Marketing’ forums on the message boards at www.dentaltown.com. I just came across an article about Tom Orent and his "Four rooms for patients to sample, from sample lipsticks, to diapers, to Seasons" customer service. In his office he doles out coffee, tea, hairspray, to contact solution, even an electric shoe polisher. bread, cookies, and "Guanara." If you do have a dental SMILE Sugar Free candies and sugar free suckers in welcome area. spa could you share with me what you do to "wow" or Fresh flowers every Monday that are still very pretty the last day of just bring in new patients? our work week, Thursday. We then give them to a patient that day, augustdds, Official Townie to take home. Scented candles in areas throughout the office. Warm We try to do a few extra nice things (since many offices do NOT) neck pillows and blankets. Satellite Dish TV in ceilings in each which make a big difference IMO. Fresh coffee, two different operatory, VCR and DVD players. Complimentary, warm paraffin newspapers, and a TV/VCR which plays " The Little Rascals" and treatments for the hands. Warm cotton towels for clean up after other funny, uplifting videos in the waiting room. This also helps appointments. PlayStation II, games, movies and books in with "waiting on the doctor" time. Satellite network TV in each children's play area. Caller ID, enables us to recognize patients room, a large picture window overlooking a landscaped area, immediately on first ring. None of this seems like extra work to me blankets for the patients when needed, (so we can keep it COOL as a staff member, just extra ways to make our patients feel special for us) and heated moistened towelettes for patients after long and show them that we care. procedures all add a nice touch with little effort or time. corine, Official Townie drdave, Official Townie I bet the patients love it! If I were the patient I would certainly feel We do all the extras, well almost. Fresh ground coffee beans each important. The hot towels are such a nice touch. Did you by day, fresh baked cookies, assorted juices and bottled water. White chance go through Dickerson’s courses? fluffy cotton towels for hands in restrooms, lots of amenities in rest happysmile67, Official Townie

56 DentalTown Magazine March 2002