Dental manners.
 

The recent rash of dental related posts, in combination with yesterday's wide eyed robot dental patient has lead me to a new poll.

Do you leave your eyes open and watch or keep them shut and imagine yourself in your happy place when you are at the dentist?

I always shut mine when they are working, and open them when they are not. It's kind of creepy to be that close to someone I don't know even if they are buried underneath a facemask and eye shields...plus, I hate to be watched when I'm trying to work, so I figure I'll not make the person with a very sharp pointy scraper nervous if I don't have to...

I keep them open, but don't stare into the eyes or face of the hygienist. There are plenty of things to look at in the room. There's a cool aquarium screen saver on the computer they use for the charts. It's right in my line of view. Probably on purpose. Also, the fluorescent ceiling lights are covered with light diffusers that have transparent pictures of a blue sky with puffy white clouds. They have a huge picture frame on the wall, filled with old dental related advertisements from magazines like 50 - 100 years ago.

I just think of the @#$%^& bill.

closed for all the drilling and shit, open for cleaning etc. Plenty to look at other than dentist, plus I won't know when "mr sucky" is coming if I have my eyes closed and I hate it when he takes me by surprise :lol:

I always looked for designs on the ceiling tiles, or in the coverings on the lights, plus my orthodontists would constantly talk with me while they were working, telling me what they were doing before they did it, and why they were doing it while they did it, I always thought that was cool.

Open, but not looking at the dentist ... most have pictures or something to look at to take your mind off the events in your mouth. I like wilderness landscapes best - look for good hiking trails, campsites, and such.

How the hell do dentists understand what people are saying to them?
D: So, what do you do?
P: I-a a aeeii i-o-a-ii
D: A marine biologist, interesting.

Monster, this might be taken out of context:

Open, but I stare at the ceiling. My dentist needs to do something more interesting up there -- it's just boring acoustic tile.

Bring a sharpie with you next time, and if they leave you alone in the room, stand up on the chair and write something really small up there. For future patients to look at.

"Get out if you still can!!!"

My dental hygienist uses an ultrasonic cleaning tool, which sprays a lot of water, so I usually keep my eyes closed.

my dentist has those really cool things that look like sunglasses, but when you put them on it looks like you are at the movie theater. i watched the bourne supremacy last time i was in.

he said he went and bought those for each station one time when he realized he'd been working all day with something kind of hanging out of his nose.

freakin' awesome.

No, really? :eek:

My dental appointments are usually one hour or less. Do they let you stay and finish the movie?

i've never tried. i'll have to ask next time. although it is the orthodontist so the appointments do run a little longer.

Open, but I just stare at the ceiling and try not to blind myself on the giant ass light that looks like it is from War of the Worlds.

I haven't been to the dentist recently enough to remember. It seems like I keep them open but try to avoid eye contact.

I hate the dentist. I don't go very often, and haven't gone for a while.

Thankfully, SonofV didn't get that character flaw from me. Since we had a very recent trip there, I'll vote his proxy (poorly): Both. He uses a hand held mirror to watch what is going in his mouth. I watch too, it was very interesting. He only doesn't watch at two times--when the UV lightpipe is curing some sealant or other and when he's asleep. Yep. He fell asleep in the chair as the doctor was grinding and sawing away on him. Holy moly.

Manners? MANNERS? WHAT DO YOU MEAN MANNERS FUCK THAT, THERE'S NO MANNERS INVOLVED THERE'S JUST AM I GOING TO CRAWL OUT OF THE CHAIR AND GNAW THE INSULATION OFF OF THE XRAY MACHINE OR NOT AM I GOING TO FORCE THE DENTIST TO CHASE ME THROUGH THE OFFICE AND CATCH ME IN ORDER TO GET A LOOK AT MY MOUTH THERE'S JUST GENERALLY AM I GOING TO BE ON THE 6:00 NEWS OR NOT/??///?????

[shudder... leaves to go get a Scotch]

Hi, I'm back. Sorry about that... no, really, I don't have a problem with going to the dentist. Honestly. Seriously, some of my best friends are dentists.

I close my eyes, clasp my hands across my stomach, and try to remember to breathe periodically.

Mine has TVs mounted above the ceiling tile, aimed straight down.

My mother-in-law says she uses Lamaze breathing to keep her calm, and her dentist has commented to her that a surprising number of his female patients do that.

Stop reading my mind Steve.

I wonder if they have acousitc tile to absorb the screams of pain.

My dentist has TVs mounted on the tops of the walls in the corner of the room. I concentrate on that unless I'm expecting pain then I close my eyes.

Why are your knuckles white?

They [usually] aren't, but my shoulders get very tense.

My mouth FUCKING HURTS. I had all four wisdom teeth out yesterday morning. Arrrgrgrggrhhhh.

(Bonus: as I was preparing to leave the recovery area, still a bit groggy, Mrs. Dallas was asking a couple clarifying questions about what I should and should not do. I'm very proud that, in my lessened mental state, I was able to ask, "What about peanut brittle?" The nurse, who was walking away, gave a very curt "No peanut brittle!" I asked Mrs. Dallas later and she agreed with me that it sounded like the nurse didn't think I was joking. :angel: )

I keep my eyes open for the most part, but they have a television for me to watch. It is on some kind of metal movable arm thing, so they can adjust it for me to watch. That way it is also distracting. Since I usually have my appointments at 8am to get them done before work, I would fall asleep if I closed my eyes. Those chairs are pretty comfy!

Hehehe I just read this... yeah, I will fall asleep too if they let me. Nothing they do bothers me.

Wow - sounds like you all spend much longer in the dentist's chair than me!
Then again, apart from fluoride treatments as a child, I've only ever had 20 minute check-ups. Good healthy old gnashers on me. The only downside is that it's going to be even more terrifying to have my first filling or tooth out later in life. :scream:

That's British dentistry for you ;)

Meh - I'd have veneers if I won the lottery, but no cavities in 35 years isn't a bad testament.