Why the dentist in Finding Nemo is not a villain

Watching the famous and familiar film Finding Nemo, you may not have paid much attention to P. Sherman, the dentist who provided his office as the fish tank at home. This is a mistake, because without him and his office, the movie could never have developed the way it did, and Nemo would never have found his way home. While traditionally thought of as a villain, P. Sherman is actually shown as a doting pet owner, a loving uncle, and an accomplished dentist.

In the first part of the film, the fish make an escape plan for when P. Sherman cleans out their dirty tank. When P. Sherman sees the awful state of the tank, he makes sure, before seeing any patients, to address the problem and give the fish a sparkling clean tank. The AquaScum 3000 is the latest in fish tank cleaning technology and provides regular pH and temperature checks. Of course, this foils any plans the fish has made to escape, but it demonstrates P. Sherman’s dedication to caring for his office pets. If fish had teeth, it would not be an exaggeration to think that it would also take excellent care of them.

More importantly, P. Sherman (with his tools and fountain of saliva) provides the only way for Nemo to escape back to the ocean, through the pipes. In the film’s escalating action, Nemo plays dead to be flushed down the toilet, but ends up being the source of saliva he is flushed through as a method of escape. No other profession would offer Nemo this avenue of escape, which makes dentistry key to this film.

Not only does his office provide a safe and comfortable environment for the fish, but they also gain valuable education by watching him practice. At the beginning of the film, the fish comment on a root canal in progress and display their knowledge of the tools as they argue. There is no doubt that any dental student would jump at such a wonderful opportunity to observe a true professional at work and absorb so much information about the practice.

Although it is difficult to view without pausing and zooming in on certain screenshots, P. Sherman has received several awards and certificates. These include, The Toothless Grin of the Society of Denture Wearers, a diploma from the Pixar School of Dentistry, and the Gums Most Likely to Receding Award. It is clear that he is not a hacker and he takes his work very seriously.

A loving uncle, a renowned dental professional, and a great pet owner, P. Sherman is definitely not some kind of villain. In an animated world designed for children, it is important to show adult characters with strong moral values ​​and positive attitudes. Finding Nemo does this in spades and might even convince some kids not to be so afraid of the dentist in the future. If this movie has taught us anything, it’s that dentists aren’t that bad.