I will let you into a big secret. We are the same with everyone who walks through the surgery door. I have known a few colleagues who are grumpy and miserable but their patients love them for that very reason. As a profession we are hard wired to perform. Very early on in our careers we find out that interacting and chatting with patients encourages them to relax. It’s a standing joke in dental nurse circles that by lunchtime they’ve heard the same funny story 20 times.
It settles patients down. I also try and remember something relevant about a patient, it’s quite easy when you’ve been seeing them regularly, it’s my super power and patients feel that you have paid attention and that they are not just another set of teeth.
It also helps that I live and work in a small town so I get to hear all the local news.
Honestly he will be exactly the same with every female patient. We tend to flirt outrageously with the elderly because it’s fun and both sides know that it’s all fun. You tend to be pleasant with younger patients but are careful not to flirt because of professional codes.
With children we make weird animals with inflated gloves and chat about whatever the latest craze is. When my DS was young I knew all the popular games and TV programmes.
It is very likely that your dentist is just using his dentist - patient routine which works for him. Out of work he may be very different and not at all the same sort of character he presents at work.
I am super chatty at work but at home I’m much quieter and reserved. It’s a bit like meeting your favourite actor, it can be very disappointing.