I’ve Never Considered Myself “Scary”.

In fact, I’m all smiles! If I’m to blame for anything, it might be that I can be a little talkative. But scary? Honestly, it gives me a complex.  I’m not a tall guy, so to be thought of as scary was a little flattering at first – but truly – uncalled for.

Fear of “the dentist” is pretty common. If you’ve had bad experiences with dentists in the past, it is very easy to make the assumption that dentists, in general, are bad people. There’s a theory called “construct theory”, which states that we have a tendency to place certain attributes to a group of people who have something in common (in this case, dentists), based on our experiences of this group.

Being afraid of “the dentist” as a person is often the result of past negative experiences that remains in your subconscious with regard to previous dental treatment you may have encountered. You may fear things like hurtful remarks about the state of your teeth and your oral hygiene, “the dentist” inflicting pain and not caring/not stopping, or being treated as a set of teeth rather than as a person.

That’s not me. Promise. Just ask my therapist.