i have poor teeth-cleaning habits. Unfortunately, I haven't been to a dentist in a long time. Part of the reason is confusion over the state of my dental insurance.

I would like to have a "tooth salon," where anyone can just pop in at any time and pay a reasonable fee to have one's teeth, gums, and mouth vigorously (and safely) cleaned. Mouthwash could be specially mixed depending on the client's needs, floss would be used by the service provider to mind the gaps, and teeth cleaning of some form would take place. Each person could be serviced in 10-15 minutes.

Scheduling an appointment for a dental cleaning can often require weeks of waiting. I feel that this intermediate step between home care and professional dental care would help some (many?) people have better teeth. Having teeth cleaned could be as fun, easy, and common as getting a haircut.
-- gd, Apr 03 2001

(?) Where there is no dentist http://hesperian.or...y_books.htm#dentist
This book describes a paraprofessional called a 'dentic.' Apparently there are many in practice in the developing world. The preface mentions a lawsuit against the dentics filed by the dentists in Guatemala. The dentics won. This book is a must also for do-it-yourselfers. [LoriZ, Dec 05 2004]

Full Service Salon Inspired by toothsalon [Worldgineer, Oct 18 2005]

One could go to the tooth salon before a big date or job interview or speech or whenever one wanted to look good.
-- wiml, Apr 03 2001


Excellent! If it can be done for nails, hair, and oil changes, why not teeth? I'm there, gd!
-- absterge, Apr 03 2001


And after the colored tooth polish becomes passe we'll have silkscreening cute little icons onto the teeth.
-- Brendan, Apr 03 2001


That gives me an idea: Since I usually chintz out and have an acquaintance put a bowl around my head and cut, I should also start trying to get people to brush my teethe for me.
-- Op, Apr 03 2001


I think it'd work! Excellent workaround to a broken medical system...except for the usual problem: people would think it was weird. So the question is: how do you make a tooth cleaning salon cool and stylish?
-- white, Jul 24 2001


If colonic salons can be "cool and stylish" this should be a breeze.

Excellent idea.
-- quarterbaker, Jul 24 2001


aack - colonic salon: Doesn't look too pleasant in light of the fact that I was thinking about having all the tooth salon patrons in the same room just as in a hair salon.
-- thumbwax, Aug 09 2001


I had to vote for it. I seem to have posted the exact same idea under Health:Teeth Cleaning. Needless to say, I like it as a business idea - though I'm not about to start one. As a wicked twist you could tie up with an ice cream parlour next door.

<quote> Wouldn't you get your teeth cleaned more often if you could just drop in to a salon environment for 20 minutes on your lunch break? Imagine how much healthier your teeth would be and how much longer they'd last. (Is it possible to go too often to the dentist for a clean and polish?)

I propose a chain of salons where busy people can jsut drop in for a quick clean and polish. Perhaps some basic advice on your tooth brushing technique and a gentle telling off for not flossing more often. They could even refer you to a dentist if you needed any real or urgent work done.

It could have the stylish ambiance of a fashionable hair salon and thus bring a new hip-ness to oral hygene. <quote>
-- desperado, May 10 2004


"In the United States, a lot of the dentists are guys who didn't get into medical school..."

How is this insight informed?
-- bristolz, Dec 06 2004


I am concerned about the fifty per cent of the population who does not receive dental treatment in the city where I live. I am concerned about the fact that only 3% of North American dentists have purchased the @$75 grand pain-free, needle-free, drill-free dental laser. I am concerned about radiation from computer monitors releasing mercury from fillings at a fast rate. I am concerned about crown work loosening with airplane travel. I am concerned that my dentist won't give me a 7% discount for cash as most dentists do. I recently made a submission to my federal government for an expansion/advertising of dental tourism here and the initiation of training programs/free clinics here for students and 'off-shore dentics'.This country would then ship dental shipping container offices to their respective countries. The future dental expenses of our generations is staggering and will undercut many private and public dreams unless this essential element of health care is improved or government assisted. As a member of a local Food Action group, I find that poor dental care to be restrictive to the flow of food in the world.
-- mensmaximus, Dec 06 2004


I'm skeptical.
-- bristolz, Dec 07 2004


Funny how an idea gets churned and I immediately aim my cursor to vote for it, and am then disappointed when I see "neutral" as an option, and then my anno close at hand. Still a bang-up idea.
-- absterge, Dec 07 2004


Couple this with scantily clad dentists and hygenists!
-- BMCCUE, Oct 18 2005


[abs] Same thing happened to me, though it turns out that I'd even created an idea inspired by this one (link).
-- Worldgineer, Oct 18 2005


Yeah, it's amusing when you're going down the list of annos and a good one occurs to you, then you find you already added it years ago.
-- normzone, Oct 18 2005



random, halfbakery