A modest gift lets you show your dentist you appreciate the personal attention and light-handed touch during a recent visit. Offer an item he may find useful for the office, or create a batch of your favorite healthy treats for a personal, homemade touch.

Present your dentist with a useful or decorative gift for the office, such as a business card holder shaped like a tooth and toothbrush, or a basic metal business card holder that goes with the decor in the office or waiting area. If the waiting room reading materials lack variety, present a gift subscription that provides additional offerings, such as an educational children's magazine or a general-interest publication featuring healthy snack and lifestyle ideas. A plant that requires little maintenance provides a bit of decor and makes the office or waiting area feel less like a medical facility.

Offer a batch of homemade peppermint chocolate bark for your dentist to enjoy or share with the office staff as a special treat. A handcrafted indoor fountain made from a plant pot, pump and smooth river rocks adds a peaceful element to the office. If a child would like to create a gift for her dentist, a handmade, hand drawn greeting card is sure to bring a smile to the entire office team. For a young crafter, an origami creation shaped like a molar offers an unusual gift to display on a bookcase or shelf.

Offer a charitable contribution in your dentist's honor by supporting a charity that provides dental-care services to the underprivileged. Some of these organizations offer cards or ornaments that state "a gift has been made in your honor;" serving as something smile-worthy for your dentist to display in her office. Ask her assistant if the dentist has a favorite charity of her own; if so, you may wish to make a donation to that organization instead. If there is a local charity that means a lot to you, make the donation to that charity in the dentist's honor. Print a card or frame a printout made in a nice font, noting the gift made in her honor.

Offer a simple gift such as a coffee mug with "World's Greatest Dentist" printed on it, or the dentist's name, for a gift he can use while on break in the office. Present him with a necktie printed through an online custom-design retailer, featuring teeth, smiles and the dentist's name within the design. If he uses a tablet, offer a cover or case for it, decorated with cartoon images of dentists, toothbrushes or dental-floss containers, as well as his name. If you've noticed a collection of vintage dental or medical tools on display in the office, add to the collection by offering an inexpensive antique tooth model or vintage head mirror.