“Happy Hour” Dentistry

Here’s a story that really caught my attention: A dentist in Texas is serving wine and beer to relax patients as they wait for their cleanings.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/health/Happy-Hour-Dentistry-121571814.html

At first I was sure it was a put-on, one of those April Fools’ joke stories still floating around, but the website linked to in the news story is legitimate, and the site does mention the “wine and beer menu.”

One thing that isn’t mentioned is how in heck can a dentist serve alcohol in the practice, anyway? Aren’t there liquor licenses and zoning issues to worry about? What about liability if a patient gets a little too “happy” and gets into an accident? It would seem to me to be a nightmare from a legal perspective, no matter how effective it is in attracting patients.

What do you think about dentists using booze to attract new patients?