Hollywood can sometimes be a mirror to reality, but often they get it very wrong. Case in point: dentists. If you think about how dental professionals are portrayed in the media, chances are it’s negative. Remember the sinister dentist portrayed by Steve Martin in “Little Shop of Horrors?” That’s just one example. In fact, even kids’ movies show the dentist as being someone mean, like the dentist-diver who abducts poor Nemo in “Finding Nemo.” Sure, it’s all fiction, but as harmless as this trope may seem, it can cause real damage to those who have dental anxiety. Here’s why there’s no reason to fear the dentist, and some ways to make your next appointment a lot less scary!
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