I’m not particularly scared of the dentist but dental work can be a source of anxiety. Novocain shots are painful and a dentists’ drill reverberating through your skull is not pleasant despite your jaw being numb. Back when I was an accountant I worked a block from Baylor Dental College, which I used for some dental care. Much of the work was done by an instructor, while the student watched. At one point prior to a procedure, the student thought my blood pressure too high and insisted I get it checked by my primary care physician. My doctor said it was fine and told me it’s quite common for patients’ blood pressure to rise while in a medical office where practitioners often wear white coats. That was the first time I heard about what he called “white coat syndrome.”