Despite the ongoing battle over land between Israel and the Palestinians, and continued violence in the region, people from around the world are still flocking to Israel for vacations!

In fact, Israel's Ministry of Tourism says last year the country saw a record number of visitors!

Lifestyles correspondent Dave Bender has more from Jerusalem.

Pini ShaNI, the ministry' s deputy director of marketing, says they're aiming for five million tourists by 2015. Many of them in niche tourism sectors...

SOUNDBITE: PINI SHANI, ISRAEL TOURISM MINISTRY
"The understanding that the NICHE (tourism) market is very fruitful for us. There are many NICHE - or segments - of the market of people that are coming to Israel, and we know that we can develop them."

And now joining the religious, cultural, and medical tourism sectors - is dental tourism.

Patients can wrap a tour abroad around their procedure, which can include oral surgery and cosmetic dentistry.

Mik Lasry of the aptly-named Tour and Smile group works with three dental clinics in Israel, and offers a package deal:

SOUNDBITE: MIK LASRY, TOUR AND SMILE GROUP
"We work with a tour company that handles every aspect of the tour portion of the trip. And they'll work with your dental schedule. The times you have to be at the office, and they can individualize the tour based on your interests."

Lasry says they perform implants, root canals and crowns for 50 to 70 patients annually.

One of them was Yakov Schwartz, an American from Brooklyn, New York.

Chemicals in medication he was taking were quickly deteriorating his teeth, and he needed implants to repair the damage.

SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"I think I got a quote for $28,500 or $30,000 - something like that."

Which was a lot more then he could afford.

SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"So I went online and did some research. And I really came up with a couple of places that I could go to, and after looking into it. I determined that the prices were all pretty much the same. Some were a little less, some were a little more."x
Israeli oral surgeons are held in high-regard internationally, and are comfortable working with patients from overseas.

SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"SO I DECIDED TO COME OUT TO ISRAEL TO HAVE THE DENTAL WORK DONE, AND IT'S BEEN GREAT."

SOUNDBITE: MIK LASRY, TOUR AND SMILE GROUP
"A lot of people have that notion that they're going to come here, and get a full mouth restoration, and that they're going to be out in bed, in pain, for the entire trip. And that is not true."

The usual treatment is divided into three visits.

SOUNDBITE: MIK LASRY, TOUR AND SMILE GROUP
"The first time we take some X-rays. The second time is to do the actual procedure. And then one last time for a final check-up. And that's it. The rest of the time is for leisure."

And for Yakov's that meant hitting south for sun and surf . 

SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"The high points for me were Eilat - I really like resorts. So I took a trip, like for almost a week, where I went down first to the dead sea spend some time in the SPAs. You know, just haning out in the water. And then I went down to Eilat. I did some scuba diving which was great. They have some shipwrecks down there. It was really nice and that was probably the high point.  It's been really nice."

And sometimes, dental surgery can bring people to tears - but in a good sense.

SOUNDBITE: MIK LASRY, MANAGER OF TOUR AND SMILE
"There was a client who came here with his wife and daughter. And he had severe problems with his teeth. He wasn't able to eat solid foods, and he was embarrassed to smile. And I'll never forget when he finished the first part of the treatment and he had his temporary crowns. And his wife and daughter came into the room and they saw him smile for the first time and they all started crying."
 
Despite initial concerns about personal security, Yakov feels he made the right decision.

SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"To be completely upfront, I was a bit nervous coming out here to get the dental work done. You know, you hear stories and things like that not particularly about Israel, but anywhere outside the U.S."

But after speaking with family here, he decided that it was the right thing to do.
 
SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"For me it was a great thing. I could not afford to spend $30,000. At the same time you want to feel good, want to look good, and I was able to do it for significantly less, with a very high level of care."
 
And, in a time and region where civil wars and strife lead the headlines... 

SOUNDBITE: YAKOV SCHWARTZ, AMERICAN
"Undoubtedly, I would say this is an oasis. I mean I've really had a level of serenity here, and just peace, just throughout my entire trip. And I really have been able to take the time to really just enjoy things here. There's just so much beauty and so much history, which is something I really like."

And Yakov now has the smile to prove it.