To avoid eye contact or make eye contact with your dentist while getting work done? It’s likely an internal debate you’ve experienced while at the dentist. You may feel rude if you close your eyes, essentially shutting yourself off to your dentist. On the flip side, you may make the dentist uneasy if you are staring at them the whole time while they are prodding around in your mouth. A good middle ground seems to be eyes open while looking elsewhere.
An Arizona-based dental office sparked this debate in the comments section of its video on this topic. Flagstaff Dentistry 4 Kids (@flagstaffdentistry4kids) posted its video on July 23. It has amassed 2.9 million views already.
Using the Sabrina Carpenter’s bop, “Please Please Please,” Flagstaff Dentistry 4 Kids jokingly shared the request: Please close your eyes when getting work done.
In the video, as the dentist works on the “patient’s” teeth, the patient is staring at them. The dentist wears a reminder that’s taped to their glasses. “Plz close ur eyes,” the note reads.
@flagstaffdentistry4kids 👁️👄👁️ #dentalassistant #dentist #dentistsoftiktok ♬ Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter
Viewers weigh in
Dental patients weighed in on whether or not they close their eyes. Surprisingly, many think it’s more awkward to close their eyes.
“NO WAY PEOPLE CLOSE THEIR EYES I THOUGHT IT WAS ALWAYS AWKWARD AVOIDING EYE CONTACT,” one viewer said.
“I thought it was rude if I closed my eyes,” a second agreed.
Most viewers said they keep their eyes open, but they don’t stare at the dentist.
“I study those ceiling tiles like I’m taking the SAT,” one user commented.
“I just look at a random light,” another said.
“Nope sorry closing my eyes makes me feel everything you’re doing 10x more. I gotta find something to stare and disassociate at,” a third wrote.
So, most people agree it’s kind of weird to stare down your dentist while they are working on your teeth for 45 minutes. What object you choose to fixate on, however, is totally up to you.
The Daily Dot reached out to @flagstaffdentistry4kids via TikTok comment and direct message.
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