Embarrassed? What dentists really think

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Written by the Dental Fear Central Web Team
Last updated on July 5, 2021

My teeth are the worst the dentist has ever seen; I feel guilty and scared of ‘The Lecture’. I’m worried that the dentist will berate me, humiliate me, or judge me.

Embarrassment is perhaps the most common concern voiced by people who haven’t been to a dentist in a very long time.

This is the vicious circle of dental phobia: whatever caused the phobia initially (be it painful or traumatic experiences, hurtful remarks, or something else) leads to avoidance. The resulting lack of dental care has a bad effect on your oral health. And at some stage, the result of this perceived “neglect” becomes so embarrassing that it makes it impossible to see a dentist, even when in pain:

You may feel embarrassed about:

  • the state of your teeth
  • “having let things get this bad”
  • being judged
  • your lack of oral hygiene
  • not having seen a dentist for a long time or
  • being fearful.

Real Life Story: 25 Years of Neglect… Is Over

Mark’s teeth were in a very bad state when he was forced to see a dentist due to unbearable pain: “When that infected abscess forced my hand and I finally went to a dentist, I was petrified to my very core. I was so deeply ashamed of how I had let this happen, and I was shaking with fear that my dark secret was going to be revealed.”

Mark’s Story

Are my teeth the worst the dentist has ever seen?

Dentists see bad teeth and gums all the time, it’s their bread and butter. If you don’t mind graphic photos, check out this page: “My teeth are the worst the dentist has ever seen!”

Do dentists judge you based on your teeth?

Ironically, many people are scared to go to the dentist because of bad teeth. They worry that the dentist and their staff will judge them. You’re definitely not alone in being embarrassed by what the dentist will think of the state of your teeth or your dental hygiene!

Please don’t be embarrassed about going to get help. I say this on here all the time. Dentists are nearly always “doers” by nature. We don’t really care how things got to where they are, we just start trying to work out how to “fix” things. – from our message boards

While this is true for most dentists, there may have been situations where a dentist – or other people – made you feel embarrassed or ashamed about your teeth. So how can you make sure that you won’t get lectured or told off?

How can I make sure the dentist won’t scold or lecture me?

Nowadays, it has become much easier to initiate the first contact with a dentist via email or via Facebook. That way, you can test the waters and see how they react. For step-by-step instructions, see the Easy Guide to Overcoming a Fear of The Dentist.

Our Easy Guide to Overcoming a Fear of The Dentist reveals all:

It’s a very courageous step to email or call a dentist, walk in, and have a chat with them, in spite of being embarrassed about your teeth and scared of being judged. Whether it’s been a year, 10 years, 20, or more, it is a very vulnerable thing to make this move and have someone see parts of you that make you nervous and embarrassed. Many people find reading about other people’s experiences helpful. You can visit the success stories section of our forum to see how others got on.

I’m terrified of being lectured and told off

Some of you may remember the days when “the lecture” was part-and-parcel of a visit to the dentist. Thankfully, things have moved on.

Nowadays, most dentists realise that admonishing people is a sure-fire way of keeping them away. You’ll find that many dentists now try to make dental appointments a positive experience for all their patients! This means that your dentist is here to support you, give you options and help you feel happy about your teeth again.

As always, beware. There is still the odd old-school dentist around who sees lecturing as a good way of frightening people into compliance. But this has become increasingly rare. If you have been unlucky enough to encounter someone like that, keep on searching. There are plenty of dentists who know how hard it is to make the first step and who’ll be happy to support you on your way.

The psychology of embarrassment

Not everyone who has bad teeth is embarrassed about visiting the dentist. You may envy those who seem to be able to visit a dentist without a care in the world. But embarrassment does have its advantages!

Easy-to-embarrass people do have a tendency to believe that others see them as somehow inadequate 1. The good news is that the mortification is mostly in your own mind: people who are easily embarrassed also tend to be more selfless and cooperative, and onlookers interpret expressions of embarrassment as a sign that a person is prosocial 2.

So although embarrassment is a painful emotion, it serves an important social function. Showing embarrassment sends out a signal that you’re sensitive to social rules and concerned that you’ve transgressed 3. Embarrassment saves face and makes people (including dentists) like and forgive you. This is a good thing, even if at the time you experience it you may feel mortified 4.

Other reasons for shame and embarrassment

In recent years, perfect teeth have become a lot more common on TV and in the movies. We’re constantly exposed to these images of perfection. Even people who have nice teeth may feel inadequate when comparing themselves to actors or newsreaders.

The fact that (dare we say it) the mouth is an erogenous zone also doesn’t help when it comes to shame and embarrassment.

What will the dentist think of me??

It may help to know that from your dentist’s perspective, the situation looks very different. They’ve been trained to help people who are experiencing problems with their teeth and gums. It’s their job to fix these problems. And many if not most dentists view their job as a caring profession – which is what it should be.

You might find it more reassuring to hear all this from the horse’s mouth, so to speak:

I haven’t been to a dentist for 25 years… Everyone else seems to have regular check-ups, I’m the only person I know who hasn’t been for decades… I’m scared s***less of what a dentist is going to say… can you tell me what awaits me? Am I in for a lecture? Surely, a dentist will never have seen someone who hasn’t been to a dentist in such a long time? I’m pretty certain that the dentist will be horrified when they find out, and totally disgusted by the state of my teeth… I’m very frightened of the dentist’s reaction, please help! – Frightened

Great question Frightened, and one that comes up all the time. We see people like you everyday… really. It’s no big shock to us, all we care about is fixing you up, reducing/preventing future pain, maintaining/increasing function and esthetics. As professionals we know you don’t come here for the lecture, it won’t help anything or anyone… we are only there to help and serve so feel free to talk to us.

Please don’t be embarrassed… sounds silly but it’s what we do. We have seen it all before, and there is no reason why we should judge you for it. You’re not embarrassed to take your car to the mechanic even though your oil is very dirty, are you? You take in your car, they change your oil and you’re good to go again. As dentists, we have chosen to see and treat patients within this specialized area of medicine.

I hope this helps and it all works out for you.

In case you think that this was a carefully selected answer (it actually did come from a dental phobia discussion group), think again! What follows are dentists’ responses to a question which appeared on a dentistry discussion group while writing this page wayyy back in 2004:

This is a very embarrassing situation. I have five ‘root remnants’ – all molars that had once had root canals. 

Here’s the rub… I was going through a trying time a few years back, money was tight. And when the first one of these fractured, well, I didn’t do anything about it. Fear of discomfort at the dentist, the money, etc. Then another fractured a while later. By the time the third one happened, I was simply overwhelmed. Now, I feel totally stupid about presenting to a dentist. So, here I am, with these rotten teeth gone to the gum level, and feeling like a total idiot. 

Now, is there anything you can say that will encourage me to get treatment without feeling like a total moron in front of the dentist and his staff?

You should not worry what the dentist will think – this stuff happens all the time. The dentist should not make you feel bad because you could not afford to have things done and then were afraid to come in. I imagine there was a period of denial “oh it does not hurt maybe it will not get any worse”. But that is a normal feeling and the dentist understands this. You should not feel bad.

We see this type of thing quite often and should be no cause for embarrassment on your part. Treating dental problems is what dentists do. Most caring professionals are there to treat their patients’ problems, and offer restorative solutions. If a dentist berates you for the condition of these teeth, get up and walk out.

And if even a dentist tells you to get up and walk out…

The next Q&A comes courtesy of the late Jerry Gordon, DMD. It’s an excerpt from his article “How Dental Fears Work”:

What If I’m Afraid My Dentist Will Scold or Embarrass Me?

Some patients fear being chastised by the dentist for neglecting their mouths. They might nervously comment that “I know I should have come earlier” or “Is this the worst mouth you ever saw?”, expecting the dentist to reprimand them like a disapproving father or a marine drill sergeant. It is no wonder that people with these preconceived notions fear going to the dentist.

This fear seems to have originated years ago when some dentists thought they could “help” their patients by lecturing and/or insulting them. Most dentists today realize that this is a poor approach that ultimately backfires by either driving people away or building up a barrier of resentment. I look at it this way: the patient is coming to me for help. He or she has likely had bad dental experiences in the past, has been out of work and/or lost his/her insurance, hasn’t been educated about modern dental treatment, or is not particularly concerned about the comfort or appearance of their teeth.

Whatever the reason, the important thing is that the person is coming in for dental care now.

The bottom line is that most dentists do not browbeat their patients about the condition of their teeth. That may have been common years ago, but is not nearly as prevalent today. If you are worried about how a dentist will react to the condition of your mouth, try to remember that a dentist has seen everything from black and broken teeth to no teeth at all. Your teeth won’t shock the dentist. If it does, or if your dentist insults you, find a new dentist. There are plenty of dentists out there who do care about helping their patients!

Here’s another tip: if you suffer with dental phobia, you may interpret remarks which others might simply regard as helpful advice as a negative judgment of you as a person – and pretty devastating.

Educating and informing patients is one of the things dentists are expected to do and sometimes, even if meant nicely, it might make us feel uncomfortable. Let your dentist know right from the start that you are very embarrassed about the state of your mouth and cannot cope with any negative remarks.

Self-blaming and guilt

Embarrassment and feelings of guilt, self-blaming and shame often go hand-in-hand. It can help to know that many factors can cause dental problems, including your genes. Some people are luckier than others, and dentists are aware of this:

Depression

Depression and other mental health issues can cause your oral health to get worse. When you are depressed, you’re less likely to look after your health. You may not be able to drag yourself out of bed or have a shower, never mind brush your teeth. Bad teeth, in turn, can make you feel worse about yourself and make depression worse.

Most dentists who like helping nervous patients are well aware of this vicious circle. So be honest about your depression, or any other mental health problems you may have.

Here is an excerpt from a thread which appeared on our message board:

My teeth are terrible, probably the worst on here. I’ve considered meds to make me go, even just for a check-up, but I make myself panic at the thought of even contacting someone. I need help so badly… I’m so scared… and it’s ruining me. This is not the way I want to be living, but I physically cannot go. And I can’t take anyone comforting with me because I’m so ashamed of the neglect.

I’ve thought terrible things, killing myself even… Please, someone, hear this plea and give me some advice, I feel so alone and so ashamed. I need to find someone who has seen appalling teeth so I don’t feel so bad. At the moment I feel like dirt, scum…

Embarrassment is perhaps THE most common concern voiced by people who haven’t been to a dentist in a very long time. The fact of the matter is that as dentists we really do see a lot of bad teeth all the time.

Although it sounds like your teeth need a lot of work, this would be nothing new or unusual to any dentist you saw. We see people who need multiple fillings/extractions/root treatments etc. etc. all the time – literally every day. Some people aren’t lucky like you with good front teeth. For some people all that can be done is to remove ALL of their teeth. But even then it’s not the end of the world – we can make lovely, natural dentures so that they can eat, and smile again!

The fact that you need a lot of work should not be an issue. The actual dentistry would not be a big problem and your teeth can be easily fixed no matter how bad they are (even if some of them do need to be removed.) The problem isn’t with fixing your teeth. It’s how you feel about it all that’s the problem.

It is important that you remember that you are much more than your past. Of course, you cannot change the past- not even one second of it. Some things can’t be changed. However, luckily some things can! You can change (either quickly or gradually) how what has happened to you in the past makes you feel now. You can then get the treatment you want, and deserve to have. Then all of this will just be a problem you used to have! You will have a healthy mouth and you can feel proud of yourself that you have overcome something which once seemed impossible.

Feeling shame at the prospect of needing dentures

Over the years, many people have shared their success stories on our forum. These range from needing no treatment whatsoever (apart from a good clean) after a long absence to needing full dentures. If you suspect that you’ll need dentures, it might be helpful to know how dentists feel about dentures:

Do you judge people with glasses? or one with an artificial hip? You would never say “Oh My GOD look at that freak in the glasses what a loser”? Why are glasses an acceptable prosthesis and dentures are not? Both serve the person in a beneficial way. Glasses let you see better and look good, dentures let you eat better and look good. Would you be surprised if I said many of the beautiful smiles you see around you, and ones you envy, saying “I wish I had nice teeth like that” …. well, they are dentures too.

By the way, you might be surprised at how many people you know wear dentures, be it partial or full ones. They just do not talk about it. Anyway, the moral of all of the above is: don’t let your embarrassment get in the way of getting the help you deserve. There are ways of making sure that the dentist you choose views their job as a caring profession and sees the person behind the teeth.

Being embarrassed of feeling nervous

For some people, it is not so much the fear of what a dentist will think about the state of their teeth or hygiene that makes it difficult to make an appointment:

I’m not embarrassed of my teeth, I’m paranoid about all sorts but they certainly don’t look bad, nothing outwardly to be ashamed of certainly. What embarrasses me is my nervousness and anxiety, I feel like I’m being silly and childish getting worked up over something lots of other people manage just breezily.

In this video, dentist Daniel Finkelman of The Hague Dental Care talks about embarrassment (content warning: contains staged scenes of a dental visit):

There is also a great thread on our forum which tackles this topic and the issue of “Brave Face Syndrome”. You can find it here: Embarrassed of being embarrassed

Visit our support forum to get help with this and other fears, or to simply get things off your chest!

From our message boards:

Footnotes and Sources of Information

  1. Andre Modigliani (1968). Embarrassment and Embarrassability. Sociometry Vol. 31, No. 3 (Sep., 1968), pp. 313-326. DOI: 10.2307/2786616.[]
  2. Feinberg, M., Willer, R., and Keltner, D. (2012). Flustered and faithful: Embarrassment as a signal of prosociality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102 (1), 81-97 DOI: 10.1037/a0025403 []
  3. D. Keltner and C. Anderson (2000). Saving Face for Darwin: The Functions and Uses of Embarrassment. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol 9, Issue 6, 187-192.[]
  4. M. C. Lamia (2011). Embarrassment: When others observe you noticing yourself with regret, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/201112/embarrassment[]