Sometimes they talk to you when they are busy doing things in your mouth. I always keep my eyes open, but thinking about it, I feel like that’s even more weird than keeping them closed.

37 comments

  2. I’m a hygienist and the majority of people keep them open. Personally I close them. I prefer when patients close their eyes.

  3. Don’t know about that but I know for sure that I open my mouth while at the dentist.

  6. I close them, I don’t want, how to say, those tiny water droplets, or… tooth debris in my eyes!

  7. Dental hygienist here and also socially awkward. I prefer people keeping there eyes closed but I solved the problem with mirrored sunglasses. Patients have to wear them for safety.

  8. I close them. I don’t want to see the tools or the dentist orrr get something in my eye. I also close my eyes when I am getting something done to my face at the salon.

  9. I used to keep them closed the whole time, but my hygienist kept asking me if I was okay. She was concerned about whether I was in pain, needed to take a break, or was just tired. I was grateful she cared enough to ask, but was super embarrassed because she was so persistent. I’m always conscientious about not moving and keeping my mouth open. I was probably looking really stiff. I do both now. I’ll open them if she’s talking to me and close them if she isn’t. I don’t really make eye contact when we’re taking I just look straight at the ceiling.

  10. I close them. 1. I don’t have to stare at the light. 2. If i don’t see the instruments i won’t think how the heck they fit in my mouth and won’t imagine how they function, thus it’s less scary as i don’t see horror inages in my mind.

  11. I keep my eyes open and look towards my mouth, i cant really see anything but i think thats what my dentist expects me to do

  14. My dentist mounted tv screens on the ceiling, and plays blue planet type shows.

    Its great. I can just stare straight up and fully zone out. I pay no attention to what the dentist is doing. And never have to make awkward eye contact.

  16. I keep them open unless they use the water hose thingy. That sprays water onto my face so I close my eyes. Although, reading other comments I guess it’s better to close them the whole time 🤷‍♂️

  17. My eyes are very sensitive to light so I mostly always close them unless the occasional curiosity gets in the way, in which case I get reminded why I kept them closed to begin with.

  18. I always wear my sunglasses and mumble something about lights giving me a headache. I also wear them when laying on my back for tattoos. It helps me to escape the pain a little. Neither my hygienist nor tattoo artist think it is odd.

  19. I keep it open.. because if I close them, to distract myself from the anxiety of dentist pitting those tools of pain to my teeth.. if I close my eyes then I would totally focus on the pain and all the anxiety would never let the dentist do his job

  20. My dentist has a tv above the chair so I watch Netflix while they put their fingers in my mouth.

  22. It depends. I was just in for a cleaning the other day, and while I had them open most of the time while zoning out, I closed them when the hygienist was using the pressure washer because the overspray was hitting my gums and closing my eyes helped me ignore it.

    I remember I closed them during my root canal, and they’d thought I’d fallen asleep because I was so relaxed. Nope, they’d just done a really good job with the anesthesia and I didn’t feel a thing.

  23. I guess I’m weird but I’m very involved. I had maxillofacial surgery a few times and opted for local instead of general and ended up holding the suction tube for the surgeon so the assistant could ready other tools, I asked what everything was (with gestures) and wanted to know what was going on in the procedure. They seemed a little taken back that I wasn’t squeamish or freaked out having my gums sliced open and my jaw chiseled but I really never felt any pain at all.

    Modern local anesthetics are *amazing* and I am so happy to be living in the 21st century.

  25. I close them, mostly because I dislike the light. It’s uncomfortable for me because it’s too bright

  26. I keep them open because I have really bad anxiety surrounding the dentist and I need to see everything they’re doing in order to stay calm

  28. Open for cleanings. I generally zone out while the assistant is poking around in there so I’m not staring into her soul or anything. When I’m numbed and they’re drilling, I will close my eyes.

  29. I keep them closed – since last year I even put on a sleep mask (and explain that I do beforehand though).

    Main reason: Bright lights, and potentially infectious stuff from my mouth flying into my eyes.

    I had eye surgery and I’m scared about eye infections, and on top I am quite sensitive to bright light and it stresses me even more when I’m already lying there. I obviously explain why I put on a sleep mask. Sometimes when they do stuff I HAVE to watch though, like when getting an injection.

  30. I tend to close my eyes because usually, they shine a bright light to see ur teeth better. Many of the dentists I see, don’t usually have a full-on conversation with me so I just “sleep” while they clean it, etc. I just try to think about other stuff and not feel awkward. It’s their job and I feel like if I were in their spot, I would feel more comfortable if they closed their eyes 🙄

  31. Lol reminds me when I was a kid and I had gotten braces. I stared up into their face. Their nose hairs and their teeth
    I was surprised that the boss of that office had crooked yellow teeth and bad breath. But he made my teeth look nice so whatever

  32. aaaaalways closed them. Even with my sister who is a dentist i dont open them 😂😂😂

  34. I close my eyes, but only because I don’t have anything to do and also because even with the shades on that lamp is still too bright

  35. Make sure to lock eye contact as hard as possible until they are finished, embrace the weird.

  36. I close them and when I open them after whatever the dentist did I feel like I just got out of a lucid dream

  37. I stare into the void, always the other side than where my dentist is to not have an awkward stare off

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