A Foot Massage With Every Filling

A visit to the dentist need no longer be an exercise in dread. Some daring whitecoats have done away with dismal waiting rooms and antiseptic offices in favor of slick design and sumptuous spa menus. One new practice on London's Brook Street, Swiss Smile, looks more like a five-star hotel than a dental office. There's a roaring fire in the reception area and treatment rooms feature giant tropical fish tanks to create a relaxed atmosphere (swiss-smile.com). At Swiss Smile's sister facility in Zurich, Switzerland, patients can get a manicure at the same time as their root canal. Another Nordic-inspired dentist in London, Lund Osler, offers aromatherapy to take the edge off prechair anxiety, and Reiki massage during dental procedures (lundosler.com). In Berlin, the über-modern KU64 is a destination in its own right. Created by star architects Graft, the entire practice is sculpted from bright orange fiberglass that sweeps through the space like an abstract sand dune. There's also a wood-burning stove and a roof terrace where drinks are served, making six months seem like far too long to wait for that next checkup (ku64.de).