PARENTS OF PATIENTS who visit Dr. Jason Horgesheimer’s 3,500-square-foot pediatric practice in Bountiful, Utah, often ask him for something unrelated to their kids’ dental care: interior-design pointers.

Dr. Horgesheimer, 44, requested that Benco Dental CenterPoint Designer Megan Chuzas create color swatches he could share with parents who visit South Davis Pediatric Dentistry and ask about the aesthetics.

“It’s rewarding to have parents say ‘I want my house to look like your office,’ ” says Dr. Horgesheimer, president of the Utah Academy of Pediatric Dentists. Such queries are high praise for a doctor who joined Dr. Grant Bailey in building the area’s premier orthodontic and pediatric specialty center, tailoring the design with young patients’ comfort in mind. Instead of washed-out fluorescent lighting, for example, elegant fixtures “make the room look so much more comfortable.” Likewise, “handpieces are tucked underneath cabinets, not in plain view.”

South Davis is Dr. Horgesheimer’s third practice in the Salt Lake City area; Kurt Dehart of IDI Construction, who created his first two, took the lead on this one as well. Inspired to deliver an inviting, non-threatening venue, Dr. Horgesheimer and his team built the practice with an outdoor park in mind.

“We wanted kids to walk in and feel right at home,” he says. “They’re greeted with a fun treehouse, a lookout area, iPads. We designed everything around the big tree.”

The interiors came together over four months, with guidance from both Chuzas and, closer to home, Dr. Horgesheimer’s wife of 23 years, Kristi. Sconce lighting, wall coverings and whimsical accessories — bicycles, kites, clocks, artwork — were Kristi’s choices; she also worked closely with artist Kirk Larsen on the 3D cutouts, murals and playroom.

“Megan did a phenomenal job of finding solutions to our needs,” Dr. Horgesheimer says. “We really like the archways and open environment.” The colorful, calming centerpiece of the space: a 300-gallon saltwater tank filled with coral and fish.

The office benefits not only kids but Dr. Horgesheimer, his associates (Dr. Chuck Odion and Dr. Treagan White) and their team of 13 as well. “Pediatric dentistry can be stressful,” Dr. Horgesheimer says, “but the number of kids who cry or resist treatment is small. Wonderful design is a big reason for that.”