Dentists in popular culture

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free99

free99

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It probably comes as no surprise that media and hollywood have a significant impact on how we view ourselves and the world in which we live. A commonly cited example is media's portrayal of the, often anatomically impossible to attain "ideal beauty," and the rise of eating disorders. So it got me thinking, it doesn't seem like hollywood does dentistry as a profession any favors.

If you watch a movie or TV show with a character who plays a dentist and they'll likely be described in one of three ways (or some combination of the three): 1. a menacing sadist (Marathon Man, anyone? Little Shop of Horrors?), 2. a dull, timid, pushover (The Hangover?) or 3. totally incompetent (Horrible Bosses?)

I'm sure you've all experienced, to some degree, the "dentist, not a doctor" mentality from some people you encounter. When I tell people about my future endeavors, I'm frequently met with a confounded gaze, followed by "why would want you to spend all day in other people's mouths?" Another guy compared the career to car mechanics, "just smaller."

I don't raise the point because I'm offended by their perspectives, but rather, to consider how their opinion of dentistry is formed. From my own personal experience, it seems that those who understand and value the profession have needed extensive dental work in their past. Those who haven't seem to have perspectives that parallel those offered up in mainstream media.
 
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Does it really matter? Does it really bother you that those people have no idea what they're talking about? The people you would consider as friends / people who matter will probably not be so mentally dull as to compare dentistry to a goddamned car mechanic.
 
Glimmer1991 said:
When I tell people I want to be a dentist, they all assume I want to be a hygienist or assistant. LOL. The stigma of being a female...
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haha same here! when i tell people i am a pre-dental student they always say oh you want to be a hygienist? and my answer is always " no, an actual dentist"
 
Mechanics fix cars, we fix the oral cavity-- both using some pretty sweet tools. Many analogies could be made comparing any mechanic and any surgeon. Even a CV or brain surgeon is a mechanic of sorts, just with a different knowledge base and different tools.
 
Well, my dad sure thinks that periodontists are sadists.
 
I really don't think we should be concerned with what others say. I personally used to be an automotive mechanic myself and now on the way to become a dentist (hopefully). I would personally take pride in both professions, I was proud to be an excellent mechanic and will be proud to be an excellent dentist. Your profession is what you make it to be, it doesn't make you!!! we don't need to be called doctors to gain a personal satisfaction, it should rather come from with in. I think all of us will potentially be successful and how we present our profession would make us who we are!
 
During my flight back home, I had a small talk with an older bu$ine$$ woman who sat next to me about why I was traveling. Once I mention Dentistry/dental school interview-

$he a$ked me immediately if I wa$ going to be an Orthodonti$t.

Bit my tongue, and swallowed some silva, then I said my reasons why I want to be a regular dentist. 🙂
 
I always say " Ill be a fake doctor making 200K a year and b@nging hot chicks" ( im not serious) that usually shuts people up. The only people that say this kind of stuff usually have terrible teeth and are uneducated.
 
Interesting topic. I've wanted to be a dentist since I was somewhere between middle school and high school so I've gotten a wide variety of responses. Most people just assume it's for the money. As others have mentioned, a lot of people say something along the lines of "My kid went to the orthodontist and he didn't do anything, but I paid so much. That's what you should go into!"

In my mind, this is not necessarily the result of media portrayal. I think this portrayal of dentists stems from the population of people who don't actually see their dentists during their bi-annual cleanings or only see them for a fleeting minute at the end. I agree with you (free99) that the people who get more work done are appreciative of the work we do (I'm speaking as if I'm already a dentist, I'm not) and see past the stereotype. They know that it takes a lot more than a quick glance at the x-ray and the drive to make money to be a dentist.

What intrigues me most is when people argue that working in mouths is disgusting. I've had this conversation with many people to try and understand why they think it's disgusting and all I get is, "you're working in other people's mouths, it's just disgusting". Thank you for not clarifying anything... I also brought the topic up in one of my classes, "Purity and Filth" (a religion requirement where we talked about anything from food to rituals). I think the conclusion was that being borderline disgusts people because people like categories. Moist is on the border of wet and dry (obviously), so because the mouth is moist, people think mouths are disgusting... I still don't think that's the valid reason. I (probably like many of you) am still not disgusted by mouths... (On a side note, I tried writing my final paper on this topic but couldn't come up with any good reasons why people find mouths disgusting. Instead I wrote 20 pages on Sheldon Cooper's OCPD. Very fun 20 pages with lots of youtube links as sources. I also wrote another paper in this class on a Star Trek episode. Definitely one of my favorite classes. 😛)
 
Glimmer1991 said:
When I tell people I want to be a dentist, they all assume I want to be a hygienist or assistant. LOL. The stigma of being a female...
Click to expand...

Ditto! People always wonder why I've applied to so many dental schools when the dental assisting program at the junior college is just fine lol.
 
Glimmer1991 said:
When I tell people I want to be a dentist, they all assume I want to be a hygienist or assistant. LOL. The stigma of being a female...
Click to expand...

Story.Of.My.Life.
"Like a dentist dentist?" Yes, a dentist dentist whatever that is. When I would tell people I was in dental school it was "to be an assistant or a hygienist?" even when I would be treating patients in dental school they would occasionally ask me if I was an assistant.
Even now, outside of my office where people seem pretty accepting of my white coat (although I have had someone ask me "are you sure you're not the dentist?" Oh, right, I was confused about my job, thank you, kind sexist)
I met someone once when I was with my husband and I said I was a dentist and then we started talking about dentist stuff and another guy comes up, surmises that someone is a dentist, and says to my husband "So you're a dentist?" my response? "Women can be doctors too. That was sexist."
I've wanted to throat punch so many people for being sexist, but this applies to the topic at large. You are never going to be able to change general opinion/sexism all by yourself. I'm not suggesting we put up with it. Just change the people you come in contact with. Even if they think you're a jerk. Hopefully they won't be insulting to the next dentist they meet.
 
Glimmer1991 said:
When I tell people I want to be a dentist, they all assume I want to be a hygienist or assistant. LOL. The stigma of being a female...
Click to expand...
All.The.Time. "Oh you're applying to dental school? My niece/daughter/cousin is in dental school at (insert local community college)." To this I respond that I am actually applying to become an actual dentist, in which 70% of the time I get the "Oh, so not a assistant? Like a hygienist?" response.

And then once people understand you mean a dentist, they are utterly perplexed at the fact it takes 4 additional years. Because for some reason, dentistry isn't complex enough to require 8 total years of study (not considering time spent for specializing, GPR, ect)

It gets old.... really old. It truly makes me wonder if I were a male how much less explanation I'd have to go through.
 
CleverThought said:
All.The.Time. "Oh you're applying to dental school? My niece/daughter/cousin is in dental school at (insert local community college)." To this I respond that I am actually applying to become an actual dentist, in which 70% of the time I get the "Oh, so not a assistant? Like a hygienist?" response.

And then once people understand you mean a dentist, they are utterly perplexed at the fact it takes 4 additional years. Because for some reason, dentistry isn't complex enough to require 8 total years of study (not considering time spent for specializing, GPR, ect)

It gets old.... really old. It truly makes me wonder if I were a male how much less explanation I'd have to go through.
Click to expand...

Maybe I live in a less sexist area of the country or something, but no one has ever assumed that "applying to dental school" meant assisting or hygiene school..
 
CleverThought said:
All.The.Time. "Oh you're applying to dental school? My niece/daughter/cousin is in dental school at (insert local community college)." To this I respond that I am actually applying to become an actual dentist, in which 70% of the time I get the "Oh, so not a assistant? Like a hygienist?" response.

And then once people understand you mean a dentist, they are utterly perplexed at the fact it takes 4 additional years. Because for some reason, dentistry isn't complex enough to require 8 total years of study (not considering time spent for specializing, GPR, ect)

It gets old.... really old. It truly makes me wonder if I were a male how much less explanation I'd have to go through.
Click to expand...

I'm a male and some people are shocked by the fact that dental school is 4 years. Their usual response is, "Oh, but it's not medical school". And to that I usually imagine strangling them by the neck in my head.
 
Datooth said:
Does it really matter? Does it really bother you that those people have no idea what they're talking about? The people you would consider as friends / people who matter will probably not be so mentally dull as to compare dentistry to a goddamned car mechanic.
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No no, read again what I wrote, I'm not offended by their comments. I'm self-assured enough to know that I'm entering a profession that I will ultimately find fulfilling and wouldn't be swayed by a few opinions. But I do think that the public opinion of the profession we all want to enter plays an important role in how they value oral health and the work that we all want to do. People build their belief systems on an endless number of things, one of which for better or for worse, is media. My original post was just to mention a trend I've noticed in movies and to ask how, if any, that influences the way 'real-life' dentists are perceived.
 
I could really care less what the movies and pop culture say about dentists. I am however, worried when news media outlets and politicians on the left, paint dentists as money-grubbers who are not worthy of high pay and are immoral just because they make a profit and are also in the healthcare industry. As has been shown by the general populace's reaction to you guys wanting to become dentists, many people have absolutely no idea about what dentistry is really about. This can be dangerous when a demagogue politician or some ignorant 'investigative journalist' is looking to stir up the mob, simply to get some cheap publicity or whatever they are selfishly interested in attaining. Just my 2 cents. 👍
 
^^^ a lot of that up there has me thinking more and more about becoming a part of organized dentistry on the national level

dentistry needs a loud voice on the hill protecting its interests
 
lwen5 said:
I could really care less what the movies and pop culture say about dentists. I am however, worried when news media outlets and politicians on the left, paint dentists as money-grubbers who are not worthy of high pay and are immoral just because they make a profit and are also in the healthcare industry. As has been shown by the general populace's reaction to you guys wanting to become dentists, many people have absolutely no idea about what dentistry is really about. This can be dangerous when a demagogue politician or some ignorant 'investigative journalist' is looking to stir up the mob, simply to get some cheap publicity or whatever they are selfishly interested in attaining. Just my 2 cents. 👍
Click to expand...

So you do care? haha. got what you meant, but still a petpeeve of mine. Anyway, I am curious, you don't think dentists make enough money? I haven't seen many politicians paint dentists as money grubbers, but dental care is somewhat expensive. I think they should figure out a way to make it cheaper for the populace. If that means making a bit less money as a dentist in the long run, I would be fine with it. I just want people to be able to get access to dental care. I heard there is a new dental care bill that might be introduced soon. Haven't read it yet or know what's in it, but I'd be curious to know what it's about if you have any ideas.
 
gn4 said:
So you do care? haha. got what you meant, but still a petpeeve of mine. Anyway, I am curious, you don't think dentists make enough money? I haven't seen many politicians paint dentists as money grubbers, but dental care is somewhat expensive. I think they should figure out a way to make it cheaper for the populace. If that means making a bit less money as a dentist in the long run, I would be fine with it. I just want people to be able to get access to dental care. I heard there is a new dental care bill that might be introduced soon. Haven't read it yet or know what's in it, but I'd be curious to know what it's about if you have any ideas.
Click to expand...

I don't care what the movies depict. I do care what news media outlets and politicians in the speeches say about healthcare professionals. Dentists make an adequate amount of money. Not too much and yet not too little. Politicians love to paint docs and dentists as just these greedy, soul-less individuals just rolling in a Ferrari and sipping champagne on exotic golf courses. We all know that isn't true, but the general population doesn't The dental reform bill is introduced by Socialist senator Bernie Sanders. He is one of those politicians who should probably not talk too much about healthcare because he has no idea what he is talking about. This bill he is introducing is a bill I do not like. It seems like a corporate subsidy for corporate dental chains and gives them special grants. I also don't think it is time to hop on the dental therapist band wagon just yet, which is what this bill does. There are enough dentists to go around. I would like to see greater oversight over corporate dental chains, which have a dubious patient safety record. This bill does nothing to address that. The way to make healthcare affordable is to stop making medicaid impossible to bill for dentists and it is also time to introduce tort reform. More dentists would take Medicaid if the administrative procedures weren't so onerous. This bill does nothing to address this. Also, income taxes need to be lowered and regulations need to stop being so onerous for business just in general. The medical device tax instituted by Obamacare needs to be abolished b/c it results in this: Dental labs raise their fees for dentists because of the tax, and dentists have no choice but to raise their prices on patients. Increasing funding for private practice dentists who work in rural areas is something I support.

People also need to get their priorities straight. People want the expensive phones, cable TV, designer clothes etc, but magically can't find money to spend on healthcare.

I want you to watch these videos below. In one video, you will see Obama grossly exaggerating the amount an orthopedic surgeon makes off a below-the-knee amputation which in reality pays $800. In the other video, you will see how Obama has absolutely no idea about what Stark Law is (prevents a GP or any doctor from making money off a referral), you will see how he paints doctors as doing unnecessary procedures simply because they want to make a quick buck, and you will see how he has no idea as to what specialist doctors do. (Pediatricians don't take out tonsils, ENT docs do).



 
I usually just say I'm in school downtown. If they persist I tell them dental school -no confusion🙂 .
I used to get a lot "ugh, I just couldn't do that...have my hands in people's mouths all day." I normally laugh and say that it's just never crossed my mind that it would be weird.
When they bring up how "I'll be so rich" I normally just bring up how in debt I am with student loans.
When they bring up the duration of the program I just smile and say "yep: 4 years of college, then 4 years of dental school, and then the option to take 1-6 years extra for specialty training. Yeah I feel like I've been going to school forever. " then maybe a joke about me being in 19th grade.

Who cares how the media and others esteem dentistry. Stay involved in organized dentistry and protect our image so that we can continue to govern ourselves unlike medicine.

I love dentistry. You guys will really enjoy working with patients and making a difference to people. A patient today gave me a big hug and told me she loved me (it's ok she's 73) and was really happy with the look of her new teeth. You'll get to serve people, will learn to be more compassionate towards others and will learn a lot about yourselves. There's plenty of slimy dentists out there that abuse the system and take advantage of those that are most vulnerable. My advice is to surround yourselves with moral and positive people and ethical role models within dentistry. Protect your dental schools image and never tolerate any cheating or dishonestly, because those people will go on to cheat people in real life when things matter.
 
lwen5 said:
I could really care less what the movies and pop culture say about dentists. I am however, worried when news media outlets and politicians on the left, paint dentists as money-grubbers who are not worthy of high pay and are immoral just because they make a profit and are also in the healthcare industry. As has been shown by the general populace's reaction to you guys wanting to become dentists, many people have absolutely no idea about what dentistry is really about. This can be dangerous when a demagogue politician or some ignorant 'investigative journalist' is looking to stir up the mob, simply to get some cheap publicity or whatever they are selfishly interested in attaining. Just my 2 cents. 👍
Click to expand...
The left????
 
lwen5 said:
I don't care what the movies depict. I do care what news media outlets and politicians in the speeches say about healthcare professionals. Dentists make an adequate amount of money. Not too much and yet not too little. Politicians love to paint docs and dentists as just these greedy, soul-less individuals just rolling in a Ferrari and sipping champagne on exotic golf courses. We all know that isn't true, but the general population doesn't The dental reform bill is introduced by Socialist senator Bernie Sanders. He is one of those politicians who should probably not talk too much about healthcare because he has no idea what he is talking about. This bill he is introducing is a bill I do not like. It seems like a corporate subsidy for corporate dental chains and gives them special grants. I also don't think it is time to hop on the dental therapist band wagon just yet, which is what this bill does. There are enough dentists to go around. I would like to see greater oversight over corporate dental chains, which have a dubious patient safety record. This bill does nothing to address that. The way to make healthcare affordable is to stop making medicaid impossible to bill for dentists and it is also time to introduce tort reform. More dentists would take Medicaid if the administrative procedures weren't so onerous. This bill does nothing to address this. Also, income taxes need to be lowered and regulations need to stop being so onerous for business just in general. The medical device tax instituted by Obamacare needs to be abolished b/c it results in this: Dental labs raise their fees for dentists because of the tax, and dentists have no choice but to raise their prices on patients. Increasing funding for private practice dentists who work in rural areas is something I support.

People also need to get their priorities straight. People want the expensive phones, cable TV, designer clothes etc, but magically can't find money to spend on healthcare.

I want you to watch these videos below. In one video, you will see Obama grossly exaggerating the amount an orthopedic surgeon makes off a below-the-knee amputation which in reality pays $800. In the other video, you will see how Obama has absolutely no idea about what Stark Law is (prevents a GP or any doctor from making money off a referral), you will see how he paints doctors as doing unnecessary procedures simply because they want to make a quick buck, and you will see how he has no idea as to what specialist doctors do. (Pediatricians don't take out tonsils, ENT docs do).



Click to expand...

You missed his point. I agree, he grossly exaggerated on the reimbursement. However, is it not true, that better primary care would not be better for the patient, long term?

Patients go to medical professionals for their expertise. Diabetes type 2 is mostly (though not always) preventable. As are dental caries. We can advise patients all day on how to better take care of their health and hygiene, but it up to the actual patient to do it.
 
My point in bringing up his exaggeration was to prove that politicians need to stop exaggerating the incomes of doctors. $40,000 for a single non cosmetic medical procedure? That shows a clear ignorance of healthcare. Better primary care would be better for the patient, but why should that cut into an orthopedic surgeon's income? An orthopedic surgeon undertakes a much riskier procedure (their malpractice premiums are among the highest), undergoes much more training, has much higher equipment costs, needs a more qualified support staff which would demand higher wages, etc. I don't want to turn this into a healthcare debate too much, but I think doctors and dentists need to strongly protest and undertake a larger PR campaign when comments are made like this.
 
lwen5 said:
My point in bringing up his exaggeration was to prove that politicians need to stop exaggerating the incomes of doctors. $40,000 for a single non cosmetic medical procedure? That shows a clear ignorance of healthcare. Better primary care would be better for the patient, but why should that cut into an orthopedic surgeon's income? An orthopedic surgeon undertakes a much riskier procedure (their malpractice premiums are among the highest), undergoes much more training, has much higher equipment costs, needs a more qualified support staff which would demand higher wages, etc. I don't want to turn this into a healthcare debate too much, but I think doctors and dentists need to strongly protest and undertake a larger PR campaign when comments are made like this.
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It cuts into the Orthopedic Surgeon's income because he now has one less patient to treat, therefore, one less patient from whom to receive reimbursement (whether by the patient's insurance, out of pocket, etc). However, I absolutely agree with your last point.
 
Dent35 said:
haha same here! when i tell people i am a pre-dental student they always say oh you want to be a hygienist? and my answer is always " no, an actual dentist"
Click to expand...
I get the EXACT same reaction from everyone too! They're always like, "Woah, really? Good for you" after I tell them I'm going to be an actual dentist.
 
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I work at a nursing home with a lot of co-workers who need serious dental care and they always come up to me and ask me to look at their teeth, look at their inflamed gums, or offer advice on what kind of dental treatment they need and how much it will cost etc. I just wish that I actually could do something now to help them other than refer them to a free clinic. I think that professionals get people coming up to them a lot once people find out maybe they could help.
 
I am however, worried when news media outlets and politicians on the left, paint dentists as money-grubbers who are not worthy of high pay and are immoral just because they make a profit and are also in the healthcare industry. As has been shown by the general populace's reaction to you guys wanting to become dentists, many people have absolutely no idea about what dentistry is really about.
kc0X8t
 
One of the Dentists I had the pleasure of speaking with explained to me why dental fees are so high. According to him, the fees are so high because the water and electricity bills, supplies and maintenance of this equipment costs money, and that's why the procedures cost so much. The equipment (drill) and such, use water to avoid heating up the tooth, not forgetting the electricity?? so you can imagine the bill from that. I empathized with him and I'm sure we all will soon enough
 
I hear the water bill alone is usually about 25% of overhead. Maybe we can slow the handpiece down (less electricity) so the tooth will heat up less and then we can use less water.
 
Either the primer or adhesive in composite resins costs $60,000 per gallon.
 
Jaesango said:
I'm a male and some people are shocked by the fact that dental school is 4 years. Their usual response is, "Oh, but it's not medical school". And to that I usually imagine strangling them by the neck in my head.
Click to expand...

Haha. One time I was teaching kids at an elementary school and the teacher asked how long dental school was and I said 4 years. Then she said "see kids, dentists go to school as long as your teacher" uhhh, no? So now I have to make a point of saying "4 years for a bachelors, 4 years of dental school, then a residency if you choose to do that"
 
USU24 said:
Haha. One time I was teaching kids at an elementary school and the teacher asked how long dental school was and I said 4 years. Then she said "see kids, dentists go to school as long as your teacher"
Click to expand...

Oh, dear Lord. *insert biggest eyeroll here*

People are shocked when I let them know that, "Dental school is actually just as long as medical school."
 
Glimmer1991 said:
Oh, dear Lord. *insert biggest eyeroll here*

People are shocked when I let them know that, "Dental school is actually just as long as medical school."
Click to expand...

You know, because it's a doctoral degree. I don't get it. Everyone knows you call your dentist "Doctor". How is this a surprise?
 
USU24 said:
You know, because it's a doctoral degree. I don't get it. Everyone knows you call your dentist "Doctor". How is this a surprise?
Click to expand...
People seem very ignorant on an array of issues. But, I have always thought it was common knowledge that dental school is extremely similar to medical school, with focus more towards the neck, head, and especially teeth. It's oral medicine.
 
Doc holliday! That's my kind of dentist.....gunslinger,gambler, and oral cavity master!
 
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And a little TB for good measure. Interesting little career he had.
 
One interesting adaptation that may be applicable was an invention publicized a few weeks back where an individual basically re-purified the water used while showering.... Basically how the astronauts re-purify their... well.... you know what. Granted they were using warm water, which would decrease the cost of heating the water to X degree, in so much as decreasing the cost to warm the water..... Basically like a closed loop system... Who knows!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/11/tech/innovation/futuristic-water-recycling-shower-orbsys/index.html
 
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/151884/ada-convention
I have no idea where South Park is going with this.

CI2u3R2.gif

Boring dentist turned badass. (Django Unchained)

RZto04Y.png

Female dentist...the new nurse fantasy (Horrible Bosses)

tumblr_ljoaxsi7Av1qazkdco1_500.gif

Down with midlevel providers! (Parks and Recreation)

Bobs-Burgers-Dr.-Yap-e1335765299944.jpg

Rich dentist who tries hard to be cool and become friends with patients. (Bob's Burgers)

rs_560x415-130405105522-1024.JMcBrayer.ms.040513_copy.jpg

Nice guy, square dentist who would be nice to settle down with and start a family in suburbia. His character is contrasted by an uninhibited, promiscuous single mother. (The Middle)

tumblr_inline_mpqhr94hwj1qz4rgp.png

Gru impersonates a dentist to appear fit for adopting children...who's more trustworthy than a dental professional with a lot of money? (Despicable Me)

malcolm.jpg

Hal's black dentist friend. (Malcolm in the Middle)

psych_1-4_auto_a4_corbin_bernsen_a2.jpg

You know Corbin Bernsen from Pscyh?

2361003,_HybAW8WDKT_SBO5Nu3B2t69NyDPIPpYKAFvaNkfZj0MnyqutUC3PCnSXCINeTLqa2V7iGzso9he3qrK0GLUUA==.jpg

...Yeah...He played a murderous psychopath of a dentist in his early acting career. (The Dentist)

I've noticed there are two ways general dentists advertise themselves online. First one is the dentist who tries to be the most technologically advanced dentist making dentistry appear as science-y as possible. They post pictures of X ray machines and CAD technology. The second type of dentist is the one who tries to be the family oriented, "family is the most important thing in life" kind of dentist. They post pictures of their family.

It looks like the patient's experience with the dentist is awkward and silly because they're laying down, opening their mouths, and drooling all over the place (good for sitcom), but we are still valued as trustworthy (or money grubbing scumbags), educated, well paid professionals.
 
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In my opinion, this is not necessarily the result of media portrayal. I think this portrayal of dentists stems from the population of people who don't actually see their dentists during their bi-annual cleanings or only see them for a fleeting minute at the end.
000png
I agree with you (free99) that the people who get more work done are appreciative of the work we do (I'm speaking as if I'm already a dentist, I'm not) and see past the stereotype. They know that it takes a lot more than a quick glance at the x-ray and the drive to make money to be a dentist.
 
GauraBorah said:
In my opinion, this is not necessarily the result of media portrayal. I think this portrayal of dentists stems from the population of people who don't actually see their dentists during their bi-annual cleanings or only see them for a fleeting minute at the end.
000png
I agree with you (free99) that the people who get more work done are appreciative of the work we do (I'm speaking as if I'm already a dentist, I'm not) and see past the stereotype. They know that it takes a lot more than a quick glance at the x-ray and the drive to make money to be a dentist.
Click to expand...

Agreed, people who have had a lot of work done value the dentist more. But it's more like they appreciate themselves for paying for it. It's always like "I spent 5,000 dollars on these veneers" not "Look at the great work my dentist did". I always say people value what they pay for. When people pay $50 for an exam they don't care as much as if they spent 3k on an implant. Generally they want to believe that they paid for something good therefore dentists are good because they spent money on them (well, dental work).
 
As I was breaking the news to my relatives that I got into dental school:
Me: I'm choosing in between schools right now, I like School X because of 1., 2., 3., but I like School Y because of 4., 5., 6., What do you think?
Relative 1: If I were you, I'd choose the program where you can keep your current full time job. :facepalm:

Me: Hi Relative 2! I got into dental school!
Relative 2: So you mean to say you're not going to be a doctor? :facepalm:

Happened in the same day (Dec. 3), under 2 different households. Haha.
 
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