Abstract
The dental spa has become an established part of the dentistry market. Dental spa experts estimate that up to 5% of dental practices in USA currently offer “dental spa” or spa dentistry services. Strong growth is forecast and numbers are expected to increase with as many as three quarters of US dental practices possibly becoming dental spas. They can boost sales by doing so as dental spas report patients spending about 30% more per visit than in a traditional dentist' s office.
Dental spas, once considered a luxury restricted to California and New York, are now found throughout the US. The dental spa concept is successful because it meets new consumer demands, until now largely ignored by the traditional dental practice. It is also drawing in new customers with a high percentage of spa clients being first time users. The dental spa client profile is somewhat different to the usual dental office. Clients are drawn from the more image-conscious industries such as real-estate and the media. Men can account for up to 50% of patients in many dental spas. Unlike the traditional dental practice which depends on its local catchment area, dental tourists are important clients as consumers are prepared to travel from afar.
The dental spa was created by borrowing techniques and procedures from the day or med spa to reduce the stress or fear of pain commonly associated with the dentist' s appointment. However, “dental spa” remains an umbrella terms with many definitions co-existing. As with all spas there is disagreement whether spa should mean a different treatments are provided or relaxation and de-stressing therapies are added to the existing service menu. With so many different meanings, it can be no surprise that estimates for dental spas in the US vary so widely.
Some definitions of dental spas include dental practices that add non-dental procedures, such as spa services while other definitions include any dental practice that aims to offer patients a more relaxing experience than the traditional dental practice focused exclusively on dental procedures. Dental spas now include dental practices which: specialise in cosmetic dental care offer alternative dental care create a “spa-like” atmosphere or environment add spa treatments, offering dental care and spa under the one roof.
Most strikingly, a large number of cosmetic dentists have become dental spas. Cosmetic dental care includes procedures provided for the purpose of appearance enhancement rather than general dental health. These practices are somewhat analogous to the medspa business where the lines between beauty and medical procedures are now blurred. Cosmetic dental work can account for 50% of income in some dental spas for the simple reason that their clients are more cosmetically minded and more affluent than the rest of the population.
The leading cosmetic dental procedure is almost always teeth whitening, now ubiquitous in the USA. As one expert put it, “Everyone has to have very white teeth.” Other leading cosmetic procedures are “smile makeovers” that is, reconstructive dental work, such as veneers, crowns and bridges.
The spa services that can be offered in dental spas are as wide ranging as those offered in any other type of spa.
They can include, for example:- - " Aromatherapy
- Beauty treatments
- Relaxation and massage therapies
- Medical treatments
- Laser skincare treatments
Table of Contents
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- REPORT STRUCTURE
SECTION 1 SUMMARY
- TABLE 1 Dental spa market data
- Different definitions
- Market trends
- Drivers
SECTION 2 MARKET SIZE AND STRUCTURE
- TABLE 2 Medspa market data
- Numbers and trends
- Structure - ownership
- Structure - geographical concentration
- Data conflict / no agreed definition
- A very new sector
- Many different terms
- Dental spas and the wider spa market
SECTION 3 DENTAL SPAS - BUSINESS FORMULAS AND REVENUE SOURCES
- Broad spectrum of practices
- TABLE 3 Dental spas, the different treatment menus
- Business breakout, dental and spa
- TABLE 4 Dental spa (%) breakout of revenues from different categories
- Highly individual methods to classify “spa” business
- Cosmetic dental work and dental spas
- Cosmetic work and revenues generated
- Dental spa - counterpart of medspa?
- TABLE 5 Top cosmetic dental procedures (ranked)
- Dental cosmetic top procedures and example prices
- Tooth whitening
- Makeovers and smile design
- Cosmetic work and technical developments
- Lasers
- Lasers and IPLs - brief description
- Spins offs from dental developments
- Professional views of lasers
- “Spa” therapies in the dental spa sector
- Sample spa therapies
- Spa therapies - beauty
- Spa therapies - relaxation
- Dental spas and a “spa-like” perks
- Examples of “spa-like” in dental practices
- Distract and entertain
- Relaxing touches
- Product retail
SECTION 4 BUSINESS DATA BENCHMARKS
- Size of dental spas
- TABLE 6 Dental spa physical size (examples)
- TABLE 7 Dental spa revenues, annual per unit (examples)
- Investment to open / convert to dental spa
- Dental spa opening hours
- Regulatory framework of spas
- Professional (ADA) views of spa in a dental office
SECTION 5 DENTAL SPA PAYMENT SYSTEMS AND PRICES
- Payment systems in dental spas
- Payment plans
- Payment systems in dentists
- Dental spa and traditional spending compared
- Complimentary and paid for “spa” services
- TABLE 8 Dental spa prices - tooth whitening (US$)
- Price of veneers and makeovers
- Price anti-clenching
- TABLE 9 Dental spa prices - massage treatments (US$)
SECTION 6 CONSUMERS AND DENTAL SPAS
- Creating a new consumer pool?
- Consumer behavior in dental spas versus traditional dentists
- Consumer profiles - status, gender, age
- Dental spas and aging consumers
- Consumers local and other
- TABLE 10 US population distribution by age and gender (Census)
SECTION 7 DENTAL SPAS - COMMONALITIES OF SELECTED UNITS
- Dental spa chains
- High status dental spas
- Media platforms to establish reputation
- Awards valued by dental spas
- TABLE 11 Alphabetical list of dental spa operators profiled (20 names)
SECTION 8 DENTAL SPA BRANDS
- TABLE 12 Dental brands (whiten, oral care)
- Brands noted in veneers
- TABLE 13 Dental brands (technical and lasers)
- TABLE 14 Spa brands
- Other spa lines
SECTION 9 FUTURE OF THE DENTAL SPA MARKET
- Positive trends
- Strategies to sell the expensive treatments
- The convenience of instant results
- Making the switch from functional to elective
- The art of consultation The promise of objectively verifiable
- Product retail - growth strategies
- Retail barriers
- Market negatives and uncertainties
- Threats to lucrative market segments
- Grey market (rogues and counterfeits)
SECTION 10 PROFILES OF COMPANIES - DENTAL SPAS
SECTION 11 OTHER COMPANY PROFILES - TECHNICAL, LASERS
SECTION 12 PROFILES OF ORGANIZATIONS
- Professional dental associations
SECTION 13 APPENDIX - DENTAL CARE MARKET USA
- TABLE 15 Dental revenues, licensed dentists, dental assistants, and dental spas
- Dental spa market and data conflict
- GRAPH and TABLE 16 Distribution of licensed dentists by specialty (2004)
- The nine dental specializations
- Dental businesses / ownership
- Dentists earnings
- GRAPH and TABLE 17 AAP members distribution, geographical
SECTION 14 APPENDIX - THE SPA SECTOR
- “Spa” - a useful working title
- The different types of spas
- New meanings generate confusion (salon or spa?)
- Loose use of “spa” term
- An inflated meaning produces tighter definition
- The four types of medical spas
- Definitions - guidelines to be called a medical spa
- Definitions - dental spa (Day Spa Association)
- Dental spa definition (Spa Finder)
SECTION 15 APPENDIX - DENTAL SPA, SAMPLE MENUS
- TABLE 18 Dental and other treatments - sample menu
- TABLE 19 Spa menu - example
- APPENDIX “THE NEW SMILE WIDE MARKET.”
- Different questions produce different results
- Loose usage of the term “spa”
- Need to tighten definition
- Blurring of beauty and health
- Dental beauty
- Technical developments - upsides
- Technical developments - downsides
- New procedures require new selling techniques
- Consumers and consultation strategies
- Science persuades to spend
- Future of the market
- INDEX OF COMPANIES, BRANDS, SELECTED PUBLICATIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONS (REGULATORY, TRADE, PROFESSIONAL)
- Symbols used in tables
- GSP formats
- DIAGONAL REPORTS STATEMENT
