Toula Victor
It began with what I believed to be a minor toothache–nothing to worry about. But, as the days passed, the pain got stronger, and I tried harder and harder to ignore it, as my fear of the dentist put me in a state of denial. I told myself that if I just didn’t pay attention to the pain, it would go away; unfortunately, it didn’t. There was no getting around it, so I began my search for a dental office in Athens. I needed a place with an atmosphere that could disguise the fact that I would soon be sitting in a dentist’s chair with my mouth wide open and full of metal tools poking and prodding.
After some searching, I came across something that I previously believed did not exist in Athens, Dental Pearls Luxury Dental Spa. It seemed too good to be true.
Housed in what looked like a regular ‘70s style Athens apartment building, I ascended to the first floor and rang the doorbell with no expectations. I slowly pushed the door open and found myself pleasantly surprised. Inside, an airy, relaxing atmosphere calmed me almost immediately, as did the pleasant dental assistant who greeted me as I walked in. I was escorted to the modernly appointed seating area, complete with cookies, a Nespresso machine, flat screen TV, and absolutely none of the magazines typically found in dentist offices. The floor to ceiling window to my left, overlooking a couple of beautifully restored neoclassical buildings, seemed almost like a painting, and the teardrop shaped light fixtures exuded warmth (in contrast to the cold fluorescent lighting that comes to mind when thinking of a traditional dental office).
After filling out my initial paperwork, I was asked to step into Dr. Vicky Deligiorgi’s office where she thoroughly explained the procedure we would follow in order to diagnose the problem and ensure the experience would be pleasant. Indeed, as I sat in the dentist’s chair, I was given a neck pillow and sunglass-style goggles so that the light would not strain my eyes as I lay back. As I made myself comfortable, I glanced slightly upwards only to notice a flat screen TV in clear view, showing scenes of beautiful landscapes, city skylines, and wildlife. I lay there watching and began to discern the soothing music that filled the room and almost didn’t notice that the drilling, poking, and scraping had begun (although the local anesthesia may have helped a bit as well).
As I walked out of the office, one side of my mouth still numb, I thought, “Why would I ever go back to a regular dentist’s office again?”
Note: Dental Pearls Luxury Dental Spa offers additional services such as a paraffin treatment for the hands and warm and cold eye masks for relaxation and toning, respectively.