If you feel a little uneasy in a dental chair, you’re not the only one. Studies suggest that around 36% of people experience dental anxiety, while about 12% have a full phobia. But why are so many people afraid of the dentist? That’s a question researchers have been asking for decades. And while there’s no single definitive answer, one keeps coming up—the media. Continue reading to see how movies and TV might have influenced your perception of the dentist and learn how sedation dentistry can help.
Hollywood Has Never Been Kind to Dentists
It’s surprisingly hard to find a movie where the dentist is the hero. In fact, more often than not, they’re a villain, comic relief, or dull as drying paint. And the pattern goes back further than most people realize.
- In the 1976 thriller Marathon Man, a war criminal uses dental instruments to hurt Dustin Hoffman in an iconic, yet stomach-turning scene.
- Steve Martin plays a dentist who genuinely enjoys causing pain in the 1986 musical Little Shop of Horrors.
- In Horrible Bosses, Jennifer Aniston is a manipulative dentist who abuses her power over a helpless patient.
- The dentist character played by Matthew Perry in The Whole Nine Yards is portrayed as bumbling and incompetent.
The message across decades of film and television is pretty consistent. It says, “Dentists are people to be feared, avoided, or laughed at.”
It’s Not Just Movies
Television hasn’t done dentists any favors either. From sketch comedy skits depicting dental disasters to animated shows where the dentist’s office is shrouded in shadows, the small screen is just as loaded with bias as the big one.
Even music has gotten in on the joke. “Weird” Al Yankovic’s U2 parody, “Cavity Search,” is full of lyrics about screaming patients in waiting rooms.
The Real-World Impact
Even if it’s subtle, pop culture shapes the way you think about the world. When the same image is repeated, it can become the “truth,” even for people who have never had a bad dental experience.
Dentists aren’t concerned about their egos being thrashed—they worry that these harmful stereotypes will cause people to skip care. And this is why many of them offer options like nitrous oxide or oral sedation to help patients feel calm and in control.
If your dental anxiety comes from what you’ve seen on screen rather than what you’ve experienced in the chair, it’s time to flip the script. Call your dentist and have an honest conversation. Your real-life experience doesn’t have to match the movie adaptation.
About the Practice
Dr. Ira Goldberg is a dedicated dentist with nearly 30 years of experience. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Michigan and is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. Today, he’s happy to help anxious patients feel calm and in control with multiple forms of sedation dentistry. Call (973) 313-5314 to schedule your appointment at Morris County Dental Associates.