Say That Again?

My new thing is listening to my iPod while at the dentist. Personally, I like drowning out the sounds of the drilling, scratching, sucking saliva, etc.

But here’s my dilemma: I can never hear what the dentist is saying. I know it’s not because my volume is up too high because I keep it low. It’s the combination of my headphones plus his mask, making all words inaudible. The dentist has to realize that, right?

So here’s my question: when you’re lying in the chair with gauze pads and utensils in your mouth, why does the dentist feel the need to ask you more than just yes or no questions? Clearly, you cannot answer without sounding like Chewbacca from Star Wars. It makes no sense!