answer:We had a local orthodontist do an assessment of my daughter’s teeth a couple of years ago, and he did the same thing. It was a bit unnerving and we ended up going with an open-eyed orthodontist. I would imagine it has something to do with the complicated psychology behind eye contact overall. Some people find direct eye contact to be quite intimidating. If you are attempting to speak accurately, it may be a distraction to have to do so while wrestling with the vulnerability and emotions produced by direct eye contact. Just a guess.