If you or a loved one has a fear of the dentist, dentist appointments and procedures can be scary. One of the reasons people fear going to the dentist is because they’re unfamiliar with their oral health care team. It can be daunting having to lay down on an unfamiliar chair and have a person you may have never met poking around in your mouth.
However, it’s important to recognize that dentists are people too. Without protective garb, tools, and exams, dentists and other oral health professionals are just like you!
In this interview, we take off the masks, put away the bright lights, and sit in a comfortable chair to talk to Dr. Brad Guyton, DDS, MPH, MBA, a practicing dentist who also teaches dental schools in Colorado and Virginia.
Here’s what he has to say about being a dentist, his tips to ease anxiety during dental appointments, and his favorite dental jokes: