COME IN, ENJOY `DENTAL SPA' SOOTHING TREATMENTS BEING OFFERED ALONG WITH CLEANING.

Byline: Staff and Wire Reports

For well-heeled patients sick of the sterile setting of a dentist's office, sounds of a soft, airy flute and the gentle scent of candles have replaced the grind of a drill and the acrid stench of ground-up teeth.

"What? Enjoy the dentist's office? Such is the hope of a growing number of dentists who are turning their practices into "dental spas" that offer such perks as fresh-baked cookies and overstuffed couches, and such services as body waxing, facials, massage and pedicures.

About 5 percent of the American Dental Association's members have declared their offices "spas." And their new services may open the door to more elective cosmetic dentistry an additional revenue source for an industry that historically has been restricted by what patients' insurance will cover.

"Instead of constantly thinking What are you going to do to me next?' they're getting a foot massage and getting their nails done," said Dr. Eddie Siman, a dentist who relocated his practice from Beverly Hills to Sherman Oaks six years ago and bought into the spa movement wholeheartedly. "Why not get the work done and get pampered? Or you could go to an old, smelly dental office and have a miserable experience."

Patients don't sit in examination rooms; they relax in studios. ``We're creating art in there,'' Siman purrs in his smooth, polished voice against a background of scented candles and soothing, piped-in music. As they recline with lights dimmed, patients can cue up favorite songs on iPods or watch movies. If they'd like, Siman gives them a sleeping pill to let them slumber through their procedures.

He says his prices are ``competitive, not more than anyone else,'' with a cleaning ringing up a $90 bill. In practice for 18 years, Siman says business has gone up as much as 25 percent since he waded into the spa world.

Keying into the trend on the East Coast, Deann Romanick sips green tea and takes in the scent of lavender and the sounds of new-age music. She gets a free paraffin hand wax treatment, blankets, a warm neck pad and video eyeglasses in which she can watch ``Seinfeld'' episodes while the dentist works on her teeth.

The pampering eased her through a root canal and a tooth replacement, and now, with her fear of dental work gone, she has moved on to more elective procedures. Romanick, 34, a graduate student from Germantown, Md., spent $399 for teeth whitening and next plans to straighten her teeth with removable plastic braces, which can cost up to $3,500.

``I was totally afraid of the dentist,'' she said. ``Now I go to the dentist every six months and I just can't wait.''

For dentists, the changes can mean that patients see office visits as more routine.

``Going to the dentist shouldn't be this bad thing,'' said Dr. Kimberly Baer, who did Romanick's dental work. ``It should be like going to get your hair done.''

Baer opened the Bethesda Dental Spa in North Bethesda, Md., two years ago, installing hardwood floors and waterfalls and decorating in muted lavenders and greens. All patients receive hand waxes before their appointments. For additional fees, they can get follow-up pain treatment from an acupuncturist, and eyebrow waxes from a staff aesthetician. This summer, the office plans to add free 15-minute facials and massages.

``I view it as a marketing expense,'' Baer said. ``It's what makes other people go back to their office and talk about their dental appointment.''

The strategy has paid off. Baer says the spa receives about 45 new patients a month, with many of them willing to go beyond traditional dentistry and spend $400 to $16,000 out of pocket for various procedures, such as whitening teeth or attaching porcelain veneers. Sales at the office doubled in the past year, to $1.5 million, she said.

The spa services go hand in hand with the growth of cosmetic dentistry. Dentists surveyed last year by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry reported that the aesthetic procedures in their offices rose by 12.5 percent, on average, in the past five years. Tooth whitening, they said, was the No. 1 requested service. Patients might pay $300 to $600 for it, an expense typically not covered by insurance.

Technology has improved, and reality makeover television shows have helped to make more consumers aware of it. And many people -- including baby boomers -- have the cash to spend.

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(color) Deann Romanick uses video eyeglasses to watch a TV show and receives a paraffin hand-wax treatment during a teeth-whitening procedure by Dr. Kimberly Baer in North Bethesda, Md. A growing number of dentists are turning their practices into ``dental spas'' that offer such perks as fresh-baked cookies, overstuffed couches and services like body waxing, facials, massage and pedicures.

Linda Spillers/The New York Times