In Wang Yan's childhood memory, the mere sight of a dentist and the sound of the dental drill reverberating through an impersonal treatment room was a nerve-jangling experience.

But Wang's daughter, Elaine Peng, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian, holds a very positive view about going to the dentist. For her, it is all about picking gifts and visiting an old family friend.

Because Wang's family is now better off, they choose private clinics over public hospitals when it comes to dental treatment.

"There are no crowds and hours of queuing in a private clinic. It provides a friendly and relaxed environment," she said.

"Every time Elaine brushes her teeth, she does it more than three minutes," Wang said. "She is highly aware of her oral hygiene thanks to the tooth care knowledge the dentist passes on."

The number of private dental clinics has mushroomed since 2000.

A dentist from SDM Dental shows a model of teeth to Wang Yan. [WANG JING/CHINA DAILY]

SDM Dental, one of the first private clinics to appear in Beijing had about 50 patients a month in one of the five chains in 2006, and the number doubled in one year. Last year, there were on average 150 clients every month, said Hu Kai, chief clinical director of SDM Dental.

The clinic's clients are primarily composed of midlevel and upper managers from large enterprises, businesspeople and overseas Chinese.

Moreover, he noticed the trend that more people from the lower ends of the economic scale are picking private clinics over public ones.

"Every month there are two to three staff workers from the office buildings nearby," he said. "They come to us because they are fed up with the endless queues at the public hospital."

Hu attributes the popularity of the private clinic to its humane service and advanced equipment.

The private dental clinics advocate the concept of the family dentist, Hu said. Every patient has a fixed dentist who has a comprehensive understanding of the patient's state of oral health. That allows better treatment, he said.

Wang concurs.

"All four members of my family see the same doctor," Wang said. "She is like an old friend of the family.

"Each big festival I receive short messages of greetings from our dentist. Those caring thoughts give me a warm feeling."

The relaxed and friendly environment of the practice also sets it apart from traditional clinics, which might pack as many as 10 patients into one room, according to Hu.

Young children can put the dread behind them as they think about the cartoon pictures on the wall or the small car models they will be handed after each treatment.

Hu believes small-sized private clinics will flourish across the capital's residential communities.

"As more people pursue a high-quality lifestyle, the demand for convenient and humane dental services will also rise," he said.