Dentist Haters… People Who Hate Dentists Part II

Are You a Dentist Hater?

You’re not alone. There’s lots of people who say they hate the dentist.

This is Part II of the “Why I HATE the Dentist” conversation.

In Part I of People Who HATE Dentists we explored why people would have an anti-dentist bias.

Here in Part II, we’ll have a little fun as I expose some of the colorful characters that make up this dentist-hating niche.

You might even recognize yourself or somebody else you know.

Who are these Dentist Haters?

When people say “I hate the dentist!” that can mean totally different things. Some people just don’t like having dental work done and feel the need to vent about it.

Some people hate the expense of dental care. It can be pricey and for someone on a limited budget that can make it unobtainable.

Some are “Anti-Dentite” as Kramer once accused Jerry of on The Seinfeld Show.  (see video =>)

The following are some Types of Dentist Haters I’ve come across over the years.

The Comedians

These are those YouTube attention-seeking wannabe’s. Their “I Hate Dentists” shtick pokes fun at an easy target.

Maybe these Comedians hope to grab attention by poking fun at a common enemy to many.

Dentist-bashing doesn’t have the same wide-audience appeal anymore. Barely registers on the chuckle meter. Those that rage on tend to look a bit silly.

Besides, Jerry and Kramer already nailed it with their Anti-Dentite bit.

In this video, someone named Fred manages to pull off the combination of Comedian and a Drama Queen. (see video =>)

Believe it or not, he has a massive number of subscribers an this video alone has attracted over 20 million viewers. Perhaps it’s a generational thing, because I found it near-impossible to watch right through.

The Drama Queens

You won’t hear most people retelling any old horror stories. Why? Every time you drag up an old horror story, you breathe life back into it. Who wants to relive any of that stuff?

Actually, some people – the Drama Queens  – love sharing their dental nightmares.

As with newspaper headlines, they know that it’s the bad news that always grabs more attention. The more dramatic the better..

It’s all fun and games with the juicy tales of dental woe until they have to sit back in that dental chair again. They’re so firmly attached to those old horror stories, that they couldn’t possibly relax at the dentist.

These drama queens are difficult to work on. They’ve mastered the art of accentuating every little negative for dramatic effect. They can make a spectacular mountain out of a tiny molehill.

Guaranteed these people aren’t willing to let go of their drama habit. They just love telling a good story and enjoy the ongoing payoff of attention and sympathy.

Thank goodness for Sedation Dentistry.

The Victims

This is a special breed of Drama Queen. These people love to play the victim role in the Drama Triangle. In fact the entire triangle revolves around them.

All their miseries are someone else’s fault. All their toxic emotions are someone else’s responsibility.

Leadership coach Jim Clemmer describes these people as infected with the Victimitis Virus. (see video =>)

Warning: If you act like you’ve been given a free license to bitch, moan and complain instead of moving on, you’ll eventually pay a heavy price.

You can find out more about these victims in the Dental Avoiders.

The Shirkers

Shirkers are the ones looking to avoid responsibility, accountability and consequence.

Dentistry is all about consequences. If you don’t make the effort to avoid consequences, you’ll tend to suffer from them.

The Shirkers are a male-dominated group. I don’t know what it is, but when it comes to healthcare,  men are absolute masters of denial and avoidance. I wrote more about this in a Hubpage called Caveman Dentistry.

When things go wrong, Shirkers might know deep down that they brought it upon themselves. That might not be enough to wake them up.

The Anxious

These people are stuck in a bad memory.  Like that U2 song, they’re suck in a moment and they can’t get out of it.
(see video =>)

These people need TLC and lots of trust-building. Their dentist-hater approach is just self-defense. Once they can finally relax, they become quite pleasant and appreciative.

To learn more, see my previous posts on Dental Fear & Anxiety.

The Hedonist Adventurers

These people don’t hate dentists. What they despise is spending money on dentistry. It seems like a bad deal to these people to trade hard earned dollars for dental work when there’s so many more enjoyable things to spend it on.

Hedonist Adventurers have personalities and values that are skewed towards fun and adventure. Dentistry isn’t a high priority unless a painful dental situation demands attention.

I like these people. They’re fun and energetic. Life of the party. They just tend to have bad teeth.

Hedonist Adventurers are just the tip of the iceberg regarding people who hate spending money on dental care.

Sometimes it’s a values issues where a person has the funds, but hates spending it at the dentist. Sometimes it’s really a money issue. Dentistry can be expensive and beyond the budget constraints for some people.

The Traditionalists

These are the ones who can’t get past the past. They’re very comfortable with the old ways and hang on to any old wounds.

These are good people.  They can be fiercely loyal. They’re just not quick to change or adapt. They’re not the hating type, but they’ll never quite get past any bad childhood experience.

My mother fit into this category. She developed a true phobia and was absolutely terrified of the dentist.

To end with something fun, here’s a video of Mr. Bean at the dentist. It’s one of his funniest episodes.  (see video =>)

There you have it, a collection of Dentist Haters. So next time you hear someone say “I hate the Dentist!” you can ask yourself “What sort of Dental Hater could this be?”

Stay healthy and keep smiling!

Dr. Joe

About the Author: Joe Bulger is a successful dentist in Toronto, Canada. Visit his blog on Dental Secrets Guide to learn more about dental services and opportunities.

More Resources:

• Why I HATE the Dentist – Hubpages post on an unpleasant hygiene experience.
• Book: “I Hate Dentists!” – Helpful well-written book on why people don’t like dentists.
• I Hate Dentists – Forum for dentist haters. Personal stories and comedic rants.

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Tagged as: avoiding the dentist, Hate Dentist