Do you keey your eyes open or closed in the dentist's chair?

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ceehred@reddit

I stare upwards, but not into a light. A few dentists I've known have had things up there to look at: posters, mobiles, etc.

The only time I close my eyes is after about the first hour of a root canal, in an attempt to find an inner happy-place 😃. Damn those things are a misery...

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craftyorca135@reddit

Under sedation I used to close my eyes. Now I just look somewhere else and pray for time to go faster.

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Open and usually glaring at her for saying rude things to me when I can’t talk back to her. However she is my mother, so I usually get a lecture about some aspect of my life! (Last time it was regarding my house moving - apparently our estate agent wasn’t moving fast enough for her liking.)

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0-starlight-0@reddit

Bite her fingers next time, that'll teach her

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elaine4queen@reddit

That’s special

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Historical_Ad5426@reddit

I keep telling my dentist to put a where's Wally prayer on the ceiling.

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Away_Swim1967@reddit

I keep my eyes closed. I actually fell asleep during a root canal years ago and had a dream I was on a boat. The dentist said that I was the 1st person he'd ever seen fall asleep like that.

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wondered-bongo@reddit

I keep them open but now im wondering if im a weirdo...

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AlarmingCash754@reddit

Mostly open. Sometimes the light can be bright so I may close them.

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nevereverbelieve@reddit

Usually open, but yesterday I had an extraction from bottom jaw. It was really uncomfortable getting it out, so shut my eyes and said a little prayer. All good now.

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Vladamir_pootinn@reddit

Life’s all about balance. One open, one closed and alternate

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Geezso@reddit

Same could be said for shoes on or off, trousers on or off etc. Personal choice.

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Curious_Exercise_535@reddit (OP)

Please keep your trousers on during your oral hygiene procedure

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Euphoric_Rough_5245@reddit

Unless someone is giving you a hygienic oral procedure!!

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BrotherClive@reddit

The less hygienic the better

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APiousCultist@reddit

Do you go to the dentist they have in porn films?

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Geezso@reddit

They do a referral scheme?

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APiousCultist@reddit

I mean if they're easier than getting an NHS dentist then I think a bunch of us would make sacrifices.

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Moppy6686@reddit

FUCKIN CLOSED

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Key_Produce2617@reddit

Very much open.

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ThatNiceDrShipman@reddit

I always keep my eyes shut tight at the dentist's office, which is a problem as I'm the dentist.

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Asher-D@reddit

Open, feels weird/inappropriate to close my eyes. And usually they're trying to talk with me, I usually have my eyes open when I'm chatting.

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girlsunderpressure@reddit

I don't get scared at the dentist. I close my eyes because I don't enjoy having a huge light shining in my face.

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NoSummer1345@reddit

I tend to fall asleep.

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48panda@reddit

I went last week and got given glasses to put on. I assume they were polarised to block the light somehow, or maybe they just thought it would be funny

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APiousCultist@reddit

Polarised glasses won't reduce direct unpolarized light (they mainly reduce reflections). They just have tinted lens to reduce the light level or block UV so you don't get eye damage if they have to cure a filling.

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girlsunderpressure@reddit

I thought they were to stop any tartar scrapings and polish spatter from going into your eyes.

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elhazelenby@reddit

Same

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Lollypop1305@reddit

I’m terrified of the dentist so my eyes are squeezed shut and I’m usually gripping the chair for dear life

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Tranquillian@reddit

Always open, but looking away from the dentists face. Hell no to closing them, that just focuses all your senses on feeling the pain (that the anaesthetic isn’t covering if you have one because it’s not just a checkup)

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affogatohoe@reddit

I half and half it, if im in pain or worried they're open, if all is going well then ill relax and close them

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StuChenko@reddit

I maintain eye contact with him the entire time. If I'm going to be uncomfortable so is he

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Coocoocachoo1988@reddit

I've always done this, so I can catch them if they try anything funny,

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summerloco@reddit

This is the only way.

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Accomplished-Salt797@reddit

😄same

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firthy@reddit

Just had a root canal in front tooth today, so I can confidently say ‘eyes open’.

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Aggravating-Ant-6767@reddit

My dentist has a ceiling tv. I close my eyes because they only show Friends episodes on it.

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Swimming-Lie5369@reddit

I close my eyes and focus on breathing steadily

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dprophet32@reddit

I'm not scared of the dentist but typically I'll close my eyes so A) I'm not staring at the dentist or B) bright ceiling lights

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quarky_uk@reddit

Yes. My dentist is quite attractive, and I would hate her to think I was staring at her!

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fingerwagging_wokie@reddit

I got a dentist once who was maybe Indian and she had the most gorgeous limpid bright and sultry eyes looking over the top of her mask, I was absolutely smitten and couldn’t stop gazing. Took my mind off the filling.

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Pedantichrist@reddit

Open.

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Princes_Slayer@reddit

I’ve always been relaxed at the dentist. So my eyes are closed while I chill for a few minutes

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entersandmum143@reddit

Closed.

Occasionally I have nodded off.

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Accomplished-Salt797@reddit

I keep eye contact with them 😄

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No-Veterinarian-3916@reddit

Either. it depends.

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Curious_Exercise_535@reddit (OP)

On what?

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No-Veterinarian-3916@reddit

on my own mood. sometimes i close my eyes, an d others i do not.

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Dimac99@reddit

Closed. The big light is uncomfortable.

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BlackJackKetchum@reddit

Maybe I’m lucky in that I’ve never been bothered by dentists. The occasional twitch of a cold sweat but that’s about it.

I tend to count ceiling tiles or panels on the strip lights.

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Alarming-Bee87@reddit

Just stare at the ceiling. Don't like closing my eyes for long in public(with strangers around). Feels too strange. No fear of dentists in particular.

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Jeoh@reddit

I close my eyes because I don't want to stare into the eyes of the person staring into my mouth. Don't gaze into the abyss gazer.

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BlackJackKetchum@reddit

“And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you”.

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Kj539@reddit

Closed, though my dentist has moved to a new building and has some incredibly realistic rainforest tiles on his ceiling 🌿

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No_Medium_648@reddit

I had two fillings this morning. Every time I closed my eyes it made me focus on the panic and discomfort, which reminded me of mushroom trips when the closed eye dyingness gets too much and you have to open them. There was an overhead light composed of three small lights. One of them looked like a picture of the sun coming through the clouds, so I focused on that and pretended I was back at high school, skiving, lying on the school field pretending to be at the beach. A very elaborate distraction but it got me through. (why yes I am very dramatic.)

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FloofyRaptor@reddit

Closed at my current one, the ceiling is blank and the light is really bright. The dentist I had when I was a kid had a giant where's Wally poster on the ceiling which was a great idea.

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Al_Snows_Head@reddit

Typically eyes closed, but I’m autistic and have a real sensitivity to light, so staring directly into the overhead light isn’t the most pleasant experience.

Actually sort of funny that I hated the dentist all my life, and it took my parents forever to realise it was because of the overhead light.

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AutomaticInitiative@reddit

The lights very bright so I close them

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shortercrust@reddit

Open unless it starts to get uncomfortable or it’s long enough to get boring

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IcyPuffin@reddit

Unless it was a check up I used to close my eyes. Trouble was i often started to doze off to sleep, at least i did if i was only getting a filling or root canal.

These days i just keep my eyes open. I have full dentures nowadays, so if they need any work done they are out of my mouth. Id feel pretty daft just lying in the dentist chair eyes shut (and probably dozing off) while the dentist worked on my teeth elsewhere.

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Educational-Angle717@reddit

Open, the one I go to has a where's wally poster on the ceiling. I know it's for kids but sod that i'm finding him.

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senditoverthewaves@reddit

Open and I'm usually trying not to look the dentist in the eyes. Tile counting.

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SilyLavage@reddit

Open. My dentist insists on it, I assume so they can tell you're conscious or something.

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hhfugrr3@reddit

I always close my eyes. The dentist can still tell if you're in trouble as I found out last year when, for the first time ever, I had a reaction to the anaesthetic. I felt odd and like I was going to sleep. I realised something was badly wrong only when the dentist and nurse suddenly started shouting at me and rocking me to wake me back up. Also the only time a dentist has insisted I eat sugar!

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Lessarocks@reddit

Closed. When I was working, I went to a private dentist who had lovely rooms and a TV above my head and he’d asked me what I wanted on. My current NHS dentist has pretty grotty basic rooms with no TV . But beggars can’t be choosers. Not that all NHS dentists are like this though - my sisters NHS dentist is great and appears to have much more up to date equipment that mine.

The downside of closing my eyes is that I tend to relax a bit to much no my mouth starts to close so they have to keep reminding me to open it up.

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hhfugrr3@reddit

My old dentist had a tv that he used to do illegal streams of indian cricket matches! I quite liked him.

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DameKumquat@reddit

Usually closed as I can't deal with light flashing. Last time I managed to fall asleep four times during the hygienist session, proving I really can fall asleep anywhere.

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hhfugrr3@reddit

Always close my eyes and make out I'm not there.

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Super-Craig@reddit

Not before, but now? Open! Always open, now that the company Dentist has been replaced by our robots.

I'm the Head of Flexible Robot Solutions at our company. I helped design and build all models from 2012 to 2026, and even though I know the 2024 model is an incredible piece of technology that's made fewer mistakes than the top 5% of Dentists, there's still enough doubt that I'm going to keep a close eye on it while it works.

I might close my eyes for the 2026 model, it's skill rating put's it in the 99th percentile of the most skilled Dental Surgeons, so there's a bit more trust there than with the older 2024 model.

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Wandering_ENTJ@reddit

Shouldn't you have more faith in your creation?

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Super-Craig@reddit

I've seen everything that can go wrong, and there's a lot that can go wrong.

Besides, I'm allowing it to do it's job, that's already a huge investment of trust.

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kackers643259@reddit

Never really thought about this but I've always kept my eyes open, the only time i didn't is when I'm pretty sure i fell asleep very briefly mid hygiene appointment because i'd been up all night worrying about it

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Lunaspoona@reddit

Open. I have requested many times that they put a 'wheres wally' on the ceiling for people to look at, still havent put it up yet. I think they are missing a trick personally.

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BollockOff@reddit

Closed. I hate seeing the tools and try to zone out.

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NuisancePenguin44@reddit

My dentist has a Where's Wally poster on the ceiling so I keep my eyes open. I will find him one day

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Guilty-Zombie-8151@reddit

Our dentist has a where's wally puzzle on the celling, I found him on my first visit so its no fun trying to find hi when you already know, it's a shame he can't change the ceiling tile thing every 6 months so we had a new distraction to stare at every visit.

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petantic@reddit

Real question is do you take your shoes off or not?

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pixel-powder@reddit

I fall asleep. I pray for a root canal treatment so I can get a decent 40 winks in

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PenneTracheotomy@reddit

Eyes closed as there’s nothing else to look at at making imagining stuff better. Asked my dentist if they had a preference for patients and she said she’s too focused on the mouth to notice the eyes

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MrBoggles123@reddit

Last time I went I was having a root canal.

Apparently I must have closed my eyes because he woke me up when he was done and complained about the snoring.

And that's how I got diagnosed with Sleep Apnea.

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Bellatrixforqueen@reddit

Closed so I don’t see instruments

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N64Andysaurus92@reddit

Used to close my eyes as even with the sunglasses, the light always used to hurt my eyes, this went on for years. Then switched to a different dentist in the same building and their light however is no were near as bright so now I have my eyes open.

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No_Actuary9100@reddit

Open. In fact my dentist has a TV on the ceiling above the chair

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PaulaDeen21@reddit

Closed.

Makes me feel sooo ill.

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Metalicks@reddit

Depends whats happening.

If they're just looking around I look at the ceiling.

If they're doing anything else I'll close my eyes.

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Ocean682@reddit

Closed when he/she is actively doing the work. Open otherwise.

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ClarifyingMe@reddit

If they do painful things I close my eyes but if it's not painful I keep them open and look at the ceiling. If they're in my line of sight then I close my eyes.

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AshamedNetwork777@reddit

I've always kept my eyes closed as I never knew where to look and didn't want my dentist to think I was just staring at him staring at my teeth.

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Exotic-Astronaut6662@reddit

Have to take my specs off anyway so it’s eyes tightly shut for me

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ElJayEm80@reddit

Keep aggressive eye contact. Show dominance.

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rc_bris@reddit

Open but with my gaze fixed on something on the ceiling (my current dentist has illuminated ceiling tiles with nature pictures) so I'm not staring at them.

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Imaginary_Finger7844@reddit

Eyes closed as tight as my arsehole.

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DLNN_DanGamer@reddit

What typa dentist u goin to if they probing in two holes.

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cvslfc123@reddit

Open and I look around like Mr Bean did on the dentist episode.

Thinking of that sketch gets me through it

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ooh-sheet@reddit

My dentist has a picture of a skyline printed on the ceiling. I tend to shut my eyes though cos the lights annoy me

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patrickb1920@reddit

I stare at the ceiling

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Sea_Anxiety_9114@reddit

I close my eyes. When they have the tools in my mouth my cheek seems to spasm which probably makes it seem like I'm crying. I figured this because the last time I had a filling the assistant was stroking my shoulder and saying things like 'awwww' pretty embarrassing as I'm in my early 40s.

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