General Dentistry Concepts: Dental spa
A dental spa is a dental facility where dental services are provided in addition to spa treatments. Dental spas are supervised by a licensed Oral Health Care Provider.
Spa dentistry refers to dental practices where various services are offered that are unrelated to oral health. Some of these services that are commonly offered include: facials, paraffin wax hand treatment, reflexology, micro-dermabrasion, massage therapy, Botox and Restylane treatment, and many other services. The application of Botox and restylane is determined by each state's dental board approval.
Etymology
The American Dental Association (ADA) explains that the consumer media is responsible for the term “dental spa”. However, many practices offer services and amenities specifically designed to help patients relax without referring to themselves as a spa. Because the definition of a dental spa isn’t specific, it is difficult to determine the number of dental in the United States.
Lynn Watanabe, DDS of the Dental Spa located in Pacific Palisades, California defined a dental spa as a facility with a dental program that is under strict supervision of a licensed Oral Health Care Provider. Services at a dental spa are offered which can include both traditional and non-traditional dental and spa treatments.
History
Ancient Chinese and Greek civilizations used various methods to help calm a person who was suffering from a toothache. In the 18th and 19th century, the "barber surgeon" was a barber who was allowed to perform some dental procedures in addition to typical barber responsibilities like a haircut. The term "spa dentistry" was used in the 18th century to describe a dental practitioner in Bath England. Ms. Curris can be associated with creating the first dental spa offering patients dentistry in addition to skin and body care.
The terms, “dental spa” and “spa dentistry” started to be used more publicly in the late 1990s. Lorin Berland DDS, reserved the website and name DallasDentalSpa.com in 1998.
Prevalence
In 2003, the American Dental Association (ADA) reported that more than half of 427 dentists surveyed offered some type of spa or office amenity. In 2005, up to 5% of the ADAs 152,000 members referred to themselves a “dental spas". In 2007, the ADA estimated that possibly that one out of every 20 dental offices in the United States offered some form of spa dentistry service to their patients.
Professional associations
The Holistic Dental Association was formed in 1978 with a focus on the mind-body connection in addition to the patient's well-being. Spa dentistry is also recognized by the International Medical Spa Association and the Day Spa Association. Similar to the field of cosmetic dentistry, dental spas are not recognized as a specialty by the American Dental Association. Lynn Watanabe, DDS founded the first dental spa association in 2002 along with the creation of the International Dental Spa Association.
Dental fear studies
A main reason people avoid their regular dental visits is dental anxiety. Dental anxiety can sometimes create more dental problems because patients do not visit the dentist on a regular basis and minor issues progress into something more serious. Patients who have high dental anxiety are most likely to avoid dental treatment altogether. It is estimated that 9-15% of Americans avoid dental care because of their fear or anxiety. Dental spas aim to help keep their patients relaxed and reduce their anxiety.
