Patient-friendly design satisfies the closet art snob in us all…

As an avid reader of Architectural Digest and a general sap for anything related to interior design, I must admit that my first impression of any business is based strictly on its décor. If I am visiting a new dentist’s office, for example, I expect no less than a soothing color palate, natural lighting, maybe even paintings by a local artist or two. Such expectations are of course rarely met, and after years of frequenting overcrowded public health clinics I have developed an appreciation for the homely charm of the makeshift waiting room.

However, as I begin to exercise my powers as a private health care consumer, I come to expect more from my providers. And a recent visit to Uptown Dental Designs in San Diego met and exceeded my expectations. In toe with the recent trend toward the “dental spa,” the practice pulled out all the stops to ensure a pleasant patient experience. As I walked through the doors, I was greeted not by the clinical smell of disinfectant, but the soothing aroma of lavender and eucalyptus. While waiting for my appointment, I lounged in a comfy cedar chair while sipping on green tea and reading the latest issue of the New Yorker. Enjoying the down-tempo music and ambient lighting, I pleasantly passed a waiting period that, in previous phases of my life, had been accompanied by drab, industrial mauve carpeting and the buzz of a broken thermostat.

From the feng shui to the personal TV sets (that’s right—I got to watch Oprah while having my teeth scaled), the amenities at Uptown Dental reflect an increasing effort on the part of health care practitioners to provide upscale accommodations for their patients. And while most people take less issue with the particular chi of their dentist’s waiting room than yours truly, I think everyone can appreciate a more relaxing prelude to the sober realities of fluoride, Novocain, and the dental drill.