Title: When Your Dentist Brings a Cell Phone to a Crown Fitting

Today was supposed to be straightforward—a routine dental visit to get a crown placed on a post I had installed seven months ago. Instead, I walked out of the office somewhere between disgusted, baffled, and slightly amused.

From the moment I sat in the chair, things felt...off. The dentist never introduced himself. No small talk, no warm welcome—just straight to work, poking and prodding at every tooth except the one that actually needed a crown.

Meanwhile, his assistant, a lively and charming woman, remained silent in his presence. But the moment he left the room? We shared jokes, laughed about the atrocious music blaring through the speakers, and turned an otherwise awkward situation into something mildly entertaining.

Then came the kicker.

The dentist returned, and suddenly, out came his cell phone. Not a sterilized, professional camera. His personal phone. Still wearing his synthetic gloves, he aimed it at my mouth, angling for a close-up like he was about to post me to Instagram. At first, I cut him some slack, thinking maybe he was just using it as a reference tool. But when he pushed it closer and closer—to the point of nearly shoving it into my mouth—I had to say something.

"Uh, Doc, that’s a little close to my teeth."

He barely acknowledged my concern. Said he’d back off. Then, he tried again.

At that point, I was done. This is bogus. I am not Harvey Korman and the dentist is not Tim Conway.

I got up, told him this is bogus and walked straight to the front desk, and let them know exactly how disgusting and unsanitary the situation is. I reminded them that we’re living in 2025, not 2005. With all the technology available, why in the world is a dentist using his personal phone to take mouth pictures? The receptionist looked stunned, but I wasn’t sticking around for explanations.

Drove back to work feeling slightly guilty for a second. Then I realized—I did the right thing. What kind of professional does that? It’s one thing to lack bedside manner, but it’s another to shove a germ-covered phone in someone’s mouth like it’s a medical instrument.

So, to anyone out there prepping for a dental visit—if your dentist pulls out their cell phone instead of proper equipment, run. Oh, and red flag, hip hop music playing. Felt like I was in the middle of the SB halftime show.

This had to be a Nick Bargatze skit on SNL.