Situated atop an Italian restaurant on NYC’s bustling 23rd Street in Flatiron is Sama, a dental practice that opened to the public this week and integrates wellness with oral care.
“The mouth is the second largest cause of inflammation in the entire body, besides the gut,” said Dr. Jaskaren Randhawa, Sama founder and board-certified dentist, regarding her inspiration for the company. “That’s why interdisciplinary disciplinary care and wellness is important to me. The oral cavity is the gateway to the body.”
With consumers’ increased interest in health and wellness since the start of the pandemic, the time is right for Dr. Randhawa’s venture. According to market research firm Statista, by 2025, the global health and wellness market size is expected to reach $7 trillion. Coincidentally, New York has been silently creating a wellness row of sorts in the Flatiron area. This year, wellness spa Bathhouse opened a second location in the neighborhood, and competitor Othership followed with a location soon after.
The rise of wellness social clubs reflects this moment, as does the new focus on oral care. On TikTok, there are more than 68,000 posts dedicated to the topic.
According to previous Glossy reporting, the wellnessification of dentistry is nothing new. In 2023, Brooklyn-based Dr. Daniel Rubinshtein opened up a VIP practice for celebrities, athletes and public figures. His practice offers amenities such as essential oils, noise-canceling headphones and heated towels. Meanwhile, in NoMad, Core Smiles, founded by dentists Dr. Michael Gulizio and Dr. Steven Cordoves, offers a service dog named Enzo up to clients as well as luxurious amenities like flat-screen TVs. “[The dental industry] is steering away from being a super-clinical discipline and merging with the whole beauty and wellness industry, and dental spaces are beginning to reflect that,” Dr. Victoria Veytsman told Glossy in the February 2023 interview.
The growing interest has also ushered in a new wave of oral products. In 2019, serial entrepreneur Shaun Neff launched oral care line Moon alongside Kendall Jenner. And in 2022, Twice oral care, backed by Lenny Kravitz, released its microbiome health product line.
With Sama, Dr. Randhawa said her practice’s mission to provide integrative dental care as well as holistic wellness treatments all under one roof and at an accessible price point is what will set Sama apart. For example, if a patient is experiencing temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ, defined by pain and discomfort in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles, they can receive treatments such as masseter botox, lymphatic drainage massages, facial massages and sauna sessions to relieve or reduce symptoms. “It’s your [typical] dental experience, but elevated,” Dr. Randhawa said.
The 3,200-square-foot Sama office was designed in a year by Ringo Studio to mimic a spa. Ringo Studio has also designed spaces for Bala, Glossier, Studs and Our Place. Sama is self-funded by Dr. Randhawa.
“I wanted to make the space safe for patients to come in and get all of their care. All the clinical rooms and all the oral suites have the same type of lime wash and natural elements, and we have a whole comfort menu [to make appointments more relaxing]. … I wanted to create a better experience than what most patients are used to.”
At Sama, treatments and services are categorized as Prevent, Restore or Perfect. The Preventative treatments include teeth cleanings, cavity fillings, root canals, Velscope oral cancer assessments, digital X-rays, nutrition consultations and a signature oral microbiome testing. According to Dr. Randhawa, microbiome testing can identify harmful and excessive bacteria in the mouth that, if left untreated, can lead to conditions such as cavities, periodontal conditions and gum disease. In the future, the practice will also offer a customized product and supplements line featuring “nutrients that enhance oral and systemic health, backed by rigorous scientific research,” said Dr. Randhawa. The practice also has a proprietary assessment called Gateway to Health, which serves to evaluate oral health.
Under the Restore category, the practice offers dental implants, laser treatments, orthodontics and emergency dental care services, among other menu items. And the Perfect category offers veneers, Botox, fillers and biofillers, for example,
Similar to exclusive wellness social clubs, Dr. Randhawa said Sama will have tiered membership options ranging from $60 a month to $450 a month, which include base services such as oral exams, X-rays, cleanings and fluoride and hydroxyapatite treatments, among other offerings. However, according to Dr. Randhawa, what sets Sama apart from its future competitors is that the practice is approaching its pricing with accessibility top of mind. As a result, Sama will accept a wide range of health insurance and will also work with patients to create payment plans if needed. Patients will also have the option to book and pay for services upfront.
“There’s a better way to present important information to patients, [which is why I started this practice]. It can be beautiful, it can be elevated, and it can also be accessible. You see these beautiful [practices], and they’re so expensive that patients can’t even access them or they’re very corporate, and the dentists are not involved in decision-making,” said Dr. Randhawa. “Healthcare is a public health concern, and although it’s nice to be able to have high-end services, which we do also offer, we also want to make everyday care accessible.”
