Newdentistcompany is opening its first CT location in Westport

Aug. 5—This is Tend's 25th location, joining others in New York, Boston, Atlanta, Nashville and Washington, D.C.

Fitzgerald said when developing Tend, executives studied how likely somebody is to recommend dentists to others. Dentists are often feared by people, and so scored extremely low. They then used that data to develop an approach that would be more comfortable for patients.

"Everybody goes but nobody's having a good experience," he said.

The idea came to build a hospitality brand around dentistry, in hopes of getting people to look forward to going to the dentist.

They built their first location in the Flat Iron District of New York City in October 2019. Fitzgerald said it felt more like going to a high-end hotel or a salon than a traditional dental office. Fitzgerald said the properties are designed to be soothing so people who come into the facility feel comfortable enough to explain their needs.

Westport isn't only the first Connecticut location, but one of the first outside of a traditionally urban area, like their other locations in Boston and Atlanta, he said.

Fitzgerald said the executives were looking at the tri-state area, and Westport kept popping up as an idea. He said they have already seen some of their New York clients switching to the Westport location.

"Westport is an amazing town. It's almost cosmopolitan, in nature," he said.

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Fitzgerald said patients can schedule and manage their own appointments on the Tend website. Patients can see their full visit history, x-rays and treatment plans on Trend's website and app, along with educational content and prices.

All paperwork is processed online, which reduces wait times, said Helen Zhang, director of communications.

The facilities have welcome areas and places to freshen up and take photos, Fitzgerald said.

Tend offers a variety of services, including orthodontics and surgeries, so patients can stay in house, he said.

"We want to retain you because we want to make sure we have the end-to-end line of sight into your care," Fitzgerald said.

Zhang said while in the chair, patients wear designer sunglasses to block out bright lights, can use noise-canceling headphones and watch TVs mounted on the ceiling, which she added can help those who have dental exam anxiety.

Tend's founder and CEO is Doug Hudson, who Fitzgerald said has been a healthcare entrepreneur for about 20 years and founded Smile Direct Club.

There are hopes to move to other locations across the country, Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald said Tend works with most insurances, and for those who may not have access, they accept cash payments.