Hip or Unprofessional: TV and Dentistry

Technology is truly embraced by one of the offices in which I work and I have to say that most of our patients LOVE it. Not only do we have computers galore, 3-D imaging, digital films, and one appointmet crowns, but we are lucky enough to have a wonderful television set available for the comfort and distraction of patients while we work. Some patients don't like the TV on, but many enjoy it!! High in the far right corner of the room is this magical cable box and flat screen television that seems to be equivalent as the musical flute is for the Arabian snakes that lures patients from the spell of dental fear to one of mere distraction. I don’t pay attention to most programs as I am working– I am busy with my head deep in dental cavities, bonding agent, cement, margins, water, and a high speed drill. But while the light is curing the composite and I am forced to look away or there is a moment of quiet, in my peripheral hearing I catch all kinds of bits and pieces of the various television programs.

Sometimes it is the News (CNN, Fox News, Kron 4 - mostly factual and somewhat depressing given the current economic state, violence, traffic or weather), sometimes it is the FOOD network, and above me I can hear the sizzling of some delicious food item that the Barefoot Contessa or Rachel Ray is concocting (my stomach will usually growl in reply)…but today, dear readers, today it was the mentally…stimulating…Jersey Shore replete with Snookie in Italy.

My assistant seemed to be a little distracted by this program in the background – and who wouldn’t have been? It was the patient’s choice of programs…but was it my responsibility to turn it off? I admit to being a little amused and a little shocked that I was listening to this kind of program, but I was also a little admittedly embarrassed that we were listening to this in a dental setting while I am doing a few fillings!!! Are we hip or are we unprofessional? Do we drone out the slew of sexual innuendos, bleeped out expletives, and the almost non-existent clothing in lieu of the blissful distraction and patient enjoyment? Or do we just have a standard and professional albeit somewhat sterile news program that patients can enjoy? Does this kind of program take away from the professionalism and good impression of our office? Or are we catering to the decisions and desires of our own patient television choices? What is right? What is the best conclusion to this predicament?

While I don’t know the answer to this, having the option of a television program for our patients is a wonderful one. I don’t want to take away patient choice, and most people don’t like the smell or the sounds of the dental office. And I know deep in my soul that I have been saved on more than one occasion by Dora the Explorer or Sponge-Bob square pants for our younger patient clientele! But I also know just as surely that I will keep the television channel off a program that has anything to do with Jersey Shore in the dental setting...unless the patient specifically requests it. Sorry Snookie!

But for now, on my TV and dentistry and professionalism question….I guess I am still deciding.

Photo courtesy of: aearizona.com

Today's Media & the Humanization/Humorization of Dentistry

Have you seen the ads & previews for the movie "Horrible Bosses"– with Jennifer Aniston who plays a very HOT but sex-crazy dentist but who sexually harasses her staff & patients? And do you remember the dentist played by Ed Helms in the movie “The Hangover” where he pulled out his own tooth? Or have you seen the movie “The Dentist” and “The Dentist II” – both of which are basically about dentists that go crazy and are psycho killers??? Or Matthew Perry’s character as a dentist who helps in assassinations with Bruce Willis in the Whole Nine (and then Ten) Yards? And when is the last time you saw a fun Twitter or Facebook message from your dentist or hygienist??

Well, as a member of the dental profession, I get SOOOOOO excited when I find out that a character is playing a dentist. It just tickles me!  BUT - then I'm just as equally disappointed sometimes after I see what the character portrays!!! Publicity is publicity (bad or good right)?? NO!!! Another reason why I started this blog is that I noticed that dentistry is seldom portrayed in a positive light in social media (TV, movies, etc). And why should it- because it isn’t the most enjoyable experience for everyone and it isn’t really REALLY funny. But it CAN be.  If you meet most dentists, we are pretty AWESOME people (am I bias??? hmmm)... But truly I think we are generally VERY pleasant –personal, we smile and make jokes often. We are GREAT listeners and we have (for the most part) excellent chair-side manners. We volunteer often, and we enjoying giving back to our community. (Be honest now, I’m sure you laugh JUST A LITTLE BIT in the chair – you just don’t remember it because right after we make you open your mouth and we look around and you can’t get a word in edgewise…and that isn’t fun…for anyone.) And there are always references to a terrible situation and joke that “oh THAT is just about as fun as going to the dentist” – meaning it is more like torture.  

Now - I haven’t seen “Horrible Bosses” yet, and I REALLY enjoyed the dentist character in “the Hangover.” You’ve never heard anyone laugh out loud so hard as me than in the Hangover scene when he is pulling out his own tooth (I even read in a magazine that he really has a dental implant which is why the scene looks so REAL – because I was trying to figure out how they did that!!!) I LOVE sarcasm and humor – I thrive on it.

But I recently went on Twitter and Facebook and when I looked up dentistry there were either important yet long articles with no pictures (or if they had pictures it was of bleeding gums or the most extreme gross teeth you can imagine). And while there were some great blogs and posts and topics of interest especially to all those in the dental field, a lot of posts were from vendors trying to sell their products, etc.  They didn’t appeal to the public!

So I truly feel that we need to humanize and HUMORIZE dentistry – make it relatable and funny while still putting the profession in a positive light. I’m not asking the television or movie industries to make dentists the smart-yet-somewhat-boring-goodie-to-shoes but maybe it is the DENTIST that saves the day! Or we can be like the hilarious & sarcastic yet smart OB-GYN who delivers the baby for Hugh Grant in the movie 9 months! We are the unsung heroes in identification in such tragedies at 9/11, and we are the unsung heroes when you are having an emergency. Why can’t we have our own television series like Grey’s Anatomy or The Practice where all the characters are amazingly good looking, and they are all dentists, and the characters solve mysteries in dental diagnostics?!?!? I’d watch it!!!

I know I’m not going to be able to change the precedent of media negativity towards the profession, but I’m DARN well going to try….at least here is my contribution…..

So CHEERS to the HUMORIZATION and the HUMANIZATION of dentistry!   

Image courtesy of: today.msnbc.msn.com