Dentist’s Chair – What do You Look At?

So I was sitting pretty at the oral surgeon’s chair on Thursday getting headlocked and tugged and pulled and wiggled when it dawned on me that I REALLY need to put the question out there because by now, I just HAVE to know.  I say “by now” because every time I sit in the dentist’s chair with the doc’s face mere centimeters away from mine, I always struggle with where-do-I-look, where-should-I-focus-my-eyes?

Here is what I have tried so far in my illustrious dental career:

- stare at the blinding glaring light and pretend that I’m leaving for heaven for just a brief visit.

- stare at the doc’s mask, especially if they have my blood splatter on it.  Then I wonder if they ever freak out having someone’s blood from someone’s mouth so close to their own mouth even though they have a mask on.  And how’s my breath….

- stare at my own x-rays on the monitor and try to figure out if I have cavities are not…I don’t, by the way.

- stare at the assistant who always ends up catching me staring at her (it’s always a her), then discomfort ensues.

- stare at the doc’s eyes so I can tell which part of my mouth he’s looking at and try to gauge how he REALLY feels about me and my mouth.

- stare out the window, if I’m in an allowable position.  I think this is the best option so far.  It’s fairly interesting compared to the other options available and it always makes me feel better to KNOW that I, too, will be out there walking amongst the rest of the world when I leave the pit of doom that is the dentist’s office.

So where the HECK do YOU look at while you’re being prodded and probed, tugged and drilled, polished and pulled?

Extra credit question:

- Why do some dentists ask you questions that do NOT require a “yes” or “no” answer when you have 7 tools and at least three hands in your mouth?  My answers are always “ahhaughahagagaahah”.  Then they nod and say, “oh really?” like it all makes sense.