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“Catfishing” comes to dentistry

Springfield dentist Bob Whitehead was recently featured on the popular MTV show “Catfish.”  This dentist has found a new specialty “niche” on the show that is typically directed a teens and young adults. 

In recent years the act of catfishing has come into the spotlight. NFL star Manti Te’o was duped into believing that he was speaking to an interested female online. That person ultimately faked (her) death and had the star mourning over a girlfriend that did not exist.  

Inspired by the online chicanery, Dr. Bob engaged in a online barrage that lasted for weeks. His ploy was to contact every dental sales rep possible and lure them into the idea that he would be buying a CAD-CAM machine or other large ticket items like a cone beam x-ray unit. He would never meet the reps in person, always coming up with an elaborate excuse delivered by his front desk personnel. He would then ply the reps for more free items, always leading them to believe that they were onto the next big sale.

“Oh man are those guys thirsty,” Dr. Bob chuckled. “It never failed! They would always come back for more.”

Just when he thought that they would give up, he delivered the ultimate insult by sending them the picture of the CBCT or CEREC that he just purchased from their competitor. Some of the pictures used were not even those taken in his office.

Dental sales reps beware. You never know when you’ll be featured on the popular MTV show! To this day Dr. Bob uses many identities and confounds countless unknowing dental sales people.