Haven't been to the dentist in about five years, and when the wife and kid needed to go I got an appointment as well (so I found out when we arrived).
[cringe]
My dental experience has been in the uniformed service to my nation, which is quite different than civilian dentists if my experience today holds true.
1) Dental hygienist was professional, quick, had pretty eyes, and didn't berate me every second of the cleaning about some point of oral hygiene and how I was neglecting it. In the Army it was an experience of being laid out on a chair and heckled for half an hour while the person doing it had a sharp pointy things in one's mouth and so above response.
2) No cavities, my 30+ year old fillings okay, and no point in talking about some staining due to smoking so the dentist didn't bother. No dumb lectures about flossing or quitting smoking - I'm 48 years old and he knew better than think he'd change my habits.
3) No crying, so I got a sticker. I never got a sticker when leaving the dentist office in the Army, just smart assed comments about how I only showed up to keep up the requirement as dictated by regulation....even if I didn't cry or swear at them.