Come for the Teeth Cleaning, Stay for the Botox—Why This NYC Dentist’s Office Does Both

When I meet Jaskaren Randhawa, DMD, MPH (aka Dr. Jas), the first thing I blurt out is that I’m not a huge fan of the dentist. This probably isn’t the best way to kick off my private tour and teeth cleaning at Sama, her brand-new oral-care studio, but she isn’t surprised by my outburst in the slightest.

“There’s high dental anxiety,” she explains to me over the phone after my (painless!) appointment. “The dental office is not typically a place where people feel like it’s aesthetic and also very comfortable and relaxing.” This anxiety causes many people to put off their biannual checkups (*raises hand*) or deter them from booking one altogether, so comfort was of the utmost importance when designing her new space.

Think massage chairs, noise-canceling headphones, eye masks, warm towels, and treatment room TVs with a full Netflix queue. Think airy, sculptural interiors courtesy of Ringo Studio (which is also responsible for elevated storefronts such as Bala and Glossier). Think extra beauty and wellness offerings, like an infrared sauna, nutritional consultations, Botox, and filler. It’s truly a one-stop shop for holistic care with all of your treatments (both cosmetic and general dentistry) integrated into one place—a very chic place, I might add.

For those who immediately raised an eyebrow at the mention of Botox and filler, I’m right there with you. But Randhawa, who is trained by the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, assures me that your dentist, derm, and/or plastic surgeon should all work in tandem. “The teeth strongly affect the cosmetics of the face,” she says.

She compares lips to “curtains” that position over the teeth and take the shape of what’s underneath. So by changing dental alignment, “it does actually change how these tissues drape,” she explains. Injectables can totally influence your smile (it’s why some may opt for Botox to address a “gummy” appearance), but the track runs both ways—according to Randhawa, your teeth can also affect your injectable results.

It’s more time-consuming than a quick syringe of filler, but the results tend to last longer and look more natural than rounds and rounds of injectables. “It’s really important to understand golden proportions and to understand the smile,” she adds. “And who better than the dentist?” She’d never treat other delicate areas of your face, like the under-eyes, but anything around the lips, mouth, or jaw is certainly within her wheelhouse.

When you think about it, it makes total sense that a dentist would have a hand in skin “tweakments” south of the Cupid’s bow. Cosmetic dentistry is an art, after all. “I do very delicate surgeries and procedures,” Randhawa adds. She even works with 3D design software, so she can really home in on intricate details. “You really have to be able to understand proportions, the science behind it, and digital design, but then you also have to be able to look at people and see what is aesthetic and natural,” she explains. It’s a delicate dance, a balancing act of science and art.

“I love fashion. I’ve always loved it,” Randhawa says when I ask if she’s always had an eye for aesthetics. “[I thought] one day in my life, I would design clothing. … I was really lucky that I got to travel a lot and grew up in a multicultural family. I’m Indian, so we like a lot of colors, fabrics, and prints. So [I was] able to travel and enjoy design and fashion as a personal hobby, and being able to bring that into practice is really great.” Sama is certainly the most fashion-forward dentist’s office I’ve ever been to, and the fitted blazer (very on-trend for fall) underneath Randhawa’s white coat doesn’t go unnoticed.

It’s a mixture of all of these elements—the calming interiors, the sprinkling of beauty and wellness offerings, the 360 approach to oral care and longevity—that makes Sama a one-of-a-kind experience. The dentist is now—dare I say?—enjoyable, and Randhawa aims to make it even more of a destination. She even plans to add healthy meal services to her membership tiers one day because, yes, what you eat impacts your teeth. (At present, you can sign up for three plans: Prevent at $60/month; Premium at $150/month; or Prevent & Perfect at $450/month, each with different treatment regimens and discounts on wellness services.)

“Stay tuned. We are working on a supplement,” she adds. In the meantime, I’d be remiss not to pick her brain on which at-home oral-care products are actually worth their salt. Ahead, browse the flossers, pastes, and brushes Randhawa recommends having in your arsenal—doctor’s orders.

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