PRESS RELEASE

Spa dentistry

A Nuns' Island dentist is a pioneer in 'five-star VIP service' for his clients

MIKE KING
The Gazette

Saturday, March 01, 2003


If there was a Michelin guide for dental offices, Elliot Mechanic's practice probably would rate five stars.

In many ways, his Nuns' Island clinic resembles a high-end hotel with its limousine service, concierge and other extras like massages.

Welcome to the growing world of spa dentistry, of which Mechanic is a pioneer.

"Our goal is to ensure that you obtain the highest quality dental work available in unsurpassed comfort," the ever-smiling dental surgeon says as he gives a tour of his 1,700-square-foot facility - which will double in size this summer.

"We're trying to remove the psychology of fearing dentists," office administrator Chadi Saade said as he stood in the reception area, which features the latest in a wide array of magazines (none of which is more than two months old) and where new and regular patients are greeted with an offer of a hot or cold beverage.

"We try to take the everyday stress out (of going to the dentist)," Mechanic said. "I like to treat people like I like being treated."

What 49-year-old Mechanic refers to as his clinic's "five-star VIP service" includes the office Mercedes for transporting patients to and from appointments, the concierge who helps arrange travel, restaurant and hotel reservations for visiting clientele, aromatherapy, hot paraffin-wax hand treatments, DVD movies to be watched either on a television screen or through special virtual reality goggles, vibrating dental chairs and hot towels.

Regular customer Evra Taylor is so impressed with the services that she said: "I love coming here even when it's painful."

The Montreal advertising copywriter said she has "never seen a dentist with a spa concept like this. It's very innovative."

While she had her teeth cleaned this week, Taylor not only got the hot-wax hand treatment but also had her jewelry cleaned at the same time.

Taylor recalled another time when she was served lunch in the staff room after she had missed a meal because of her appointment.

"They combine performance with pampering," she added. "It's elegant, but not elitist."

Saade pointed out that the dental hygienist who does the one-hour laser tooth whitening is also a licensed massage therapist, so the patient can enjoy a rubdown during the procedure.

And there are no additional charges for the extras.

"This is for fun, not for profit," Mechanic claims. "I don't make a lot of money, this is all overhead. I gross a lot but put it all back into my practice."

The amenities are as much for his benefit and that of his staff. He said their jobs are made easier when their patients are more relaxed.

He suggested that very few fellow Canadian dentists, if any, are offering similar services because of the high cost.

But the same isn't true south of the border, where more dental clinics are mimicking Mechanic's operation.

He said Wynn Okuda, president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD), came to Montreal to study the Nuns' Island facility in planning his new office in Honolulu.

Mechanic is among about 35,000 industry professionals attending this weekend's Chicago Dental Society's annual midwinter meeting - which he refers to as "the biggy in dentistry, centre stage" - where it will offer its first course on spa dentistry.

"I've been asked to do a full-day lecture (on spa dentistry) next year," he said of the Chicago event.

While he concedes that the trend of providing spa services isn't necessarily cost-effective, Mechanic isn't concerned

because he makes the most money in advanced cosmetic dentistry, which he said allows him to "recreate nature" through reconstruction and other means.

"I did my first cosmetic case in 1983 when the term didn't even exist," he recalled.

A guitar fanatic and collector, Mechanic started dental work for professional musicians who had their record companies picking up the tab.

His clientele has grown to include local and international celebrities and entertainers, executives and professionals from around the world.

One of his cases was chosen from among 50,000 submissions to be showcased on the cover of the fall 2002 issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry, the AACD's quarterly publication that is considered the world's leading print authority on cosmetic dentistry.

The magazine stated that "Dr. Mechanic's work exemplifies the upper echelon of superior skill in cosmetic dentistry that the AACD represents."

"I was No. 1 on the planet for three months," Mechanic said of his cover coup, also boasting that he was only the second non-American dentist in 18 years to merit that honour.

His clinic does very little advertising because he estimates that 95 per cent of business, not surprisingly, comes from word of mouth.

One of his busiest periods is around the Canadian Grand Prix in June, when high-rollers come to town and stay for a week to get dental work done while they are here for the racing event.

"We are a general dental office, but the focus of our practice is cosmetics and total patient care," Mechanic said with pride.

"We live for customer satisfaction. We're trying to be the best dental office in the world."

Visit Elliot Mechanic's Web site at www.drmechanic.com or phone the Dr. Elliot Mechanic Dental Group at (514) 769-3939. The toll-free number is (866) 769-3939.

mking@thegazette.canwest.com

© Copyright 2003 Montreal Gazette