FROM SIMPLICITY TO LUXURY: THE IMPACT OF DENTAL OFFICE STRUCTURE ON THE PROFESSIONAL'S IMAGE.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the visual appearance of a dental clinic is associated with differences in laypeople's perceptions of the dentist and the dental care provided. METHODS: A cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive-analytical study was conducted with 120 participants aged between 18 and 65 years. Digital images of three dental offices - simple, intermediate, and luxurious were generated by artificial intelligence and evaluated through a questionnaire comprising six domains: trust, quality of care, hygiene and safety, furniture and equipment, technological updates, and recommendation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Friedman and Wilcoxon tests, chi-square, linear correlations, and effect sizes (Cramér's V and r). RESULTS: The simple dental office presented substantially less favorable evaluations than the intermediate and luxurious environments. Significant differences were observed across the three environments (Friedman, p < 0.001), whereas direct comparisons between intermediate and luxurious environments showed no statistically significant differences after Bonferroni adjustment. This pattern indicates limited incremental differentiation between the two higher levels of environmental sophistication. CONCLUSION: The physical structure of the dental office is a strategic element of credibility, directly impacting patient perception. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A well-designed dental office enhances patients' perceptions of trust, quality, and professional competence. An intermediate-standard clinic may provide similar perceptual benefits to a luxurious environment, suggesting that functionality and organization are more important than excessive luxury.