Curving walls made up of vertical strips of bleached wood form the inside of this dental practice in Dublin, which was transformed by Urban Agency to make visiting the dentist less daunting.

The Templeogue Dental practice was redesigned to form a sequence of light and airy spaces, rather than the corridor layout typically used in clinical buildings.

Dublin-based Urban Agency curved the corners of the walls and lined them with pale wooden panels to create a rhythmic and undulating pattern. Diffused lights line the top of the walls.

"Our fundamental aim was to rethink the typical, clinical corridor typology of dental practices to redefine how patients view a visit to the dentist – from a daunting experience to a pleasant one," said Urban Agency.

The clinic is fronted by large shop-style window that allows plenty of natural light to enter the space. The reception is placed in front of this window, with the waiting room tucked into a nook behind.

The treatment rooms are placed around the corner. Each one features large windows, offering views to an outdoor courtyard that is filled with pot plants.

"Large windows that look out onto small courtyards with lush gardens provide an abundance of natural light, while maintaining privacy, and provide delightful views to distract the patients during their procedures," said the architects.

Integrated storage units allows dental equipment to be hidden – a measure taken to create an even calmer experience for patients.

Dark grey resin floors curve up to meet the bottom of the wooden paneling to make cleaning the space easier.

Other dental clinics designed to alleviate anxiety include a surgery in Taiwan modelled on a living room and a dental training college in Brisbane where natural materials are used to create a calming environment.

Photography is by Barbara Egan.