Ambient lighting and a waiter-serviced aftercare lounge are among the hotel-informed features that interiors firm Studio Author has incorporated into this dental practice in Toronto to help patients feel more at ease.

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Paste Dental uses digital technology such as 3D-printing to make everything from night guards to permanent dental crowns in the hopes of providing a quicker and more stress-free dentist experience.

In this spirit, Studio Author eschewed the sterile design elements that are typically associated with medical interiors in favour of those more commonly found in the city's nearby hotel lounges.

"Paste showcases a new attitude to dental care to make patients feel comfortable and shatters the usual preconception of a visit to the dentist," said the studio.

"Our challenge was to separate the patient from both the expected sterile, white, clinical experience and the bustle of the city beyond," the practice continued.

To create an "elevated atmosphere" inside the boutique dental clinic, Studio Author clad the practice's interior walls in limestone.

This also served to block views from the street and foster a greater sense of privacy for patients.

The circular lobby with its mohair upholstered walls and warm burl wood reception desk was designed to create a homey, welcoming atmosphere. The scheme is rounded off with an oversized, tiered paper pendant light and a colourful mix of marble tiles on the floor.

Two individual gold velvet booth seats are recessed into the upholstered walls of the lobby to provide a private moment for customers upon arrival.

A gently curved, wood-lined corridor with low-level lighting connects the reception to the treatment and consultation areas beyond.

"The spatial planning was thoughtfully carved to guide the guest through a controlled journey from arriving into the plush private reception area, resplendent with fresh flowers, through consultation, treatment and waiter-serviced aftercare," Studio Author said.

The material palette of warm wood and marble paired with soft lighting is continued in the treatment rooms, where dental equipment is deliberately concealed behind oversized doors.

Each room has a large mirror positioned above a custom marble vanity with an integrated sink and oak panelling.

Finally, Paste Dental's aftercare lounge is wrapped in velvet and wood panelling and furnished with lounge seating to provide a space for patients to rest after their appointment.

The project has been shortlisted in the health and wellbeing interior category of this year's Dezeen Award alongside a Hong Kong gym informed by space travel and a dusty-pink welfare centre at an all-boys school in Melbourne.

The photography is by Niamh Barry.