If you or a loved one has a fear of the dentist, dental appointments and procedures can be scary. One of the reasons people fear going to the dentist is because they are unfamiliar with their oral health care team. It can be daunting having to lay down on an unfamiliar chair and have a person you may have never met poking around in your mouth.

However, it’s important to recognize that dentists are people too. Dentists and other oral health professionals are just like you without dental garb, tools, and exams!

In this interview, we take off the masks, put away the bright lights, and sit in a comfortable chair to talk to Brad Guyton, DDS, MPH, MBA, a practicing dentist who also teaches at dental schools in Colorado and Virginia.

Here’s what he has to say about being a dentist, his tips to ease anxiety during dental appointments, and his favorite dental jokes: