6 stories that prove the dental industry is the weirdest

Dentistry seems like it should be a straightforward occupation: You spend time studying dutifully, learn to provide expert care, treat patients, perform procedures and feel satisfied at the end of the day.

Except for those days where satisfaction turns to amazement, befuddlement or utter shock. Because sometimes, things get strange in the dental world. Real strange. Stranger Things-level strange, for which no amount of classroom studies or even years of practice could prepare you. From patients who bare their bottoms and wannabe-dentists removing teeth with pliers, to drug-trafficking practitioners and mouths full of cockroaches, you never know what to expect when the next unbelievable dental story ends up in the news – or more shockingly, in your chair.

We’ve compiled a list of our six favorite stories of the most bizarre, absurd and outlandish things the dental industry has faced in recent years, and the tales are pretty unbelievable. These articles cover everything from peculiar dental crimes to poorly performed DIY dentistry to patient horror stories, all of which will leave you wondering, “what could happen tomorrow in this weird, weird world of dentistry?”

Continue to the next page to see the weird stories.

The 10 weirdest things patients have done in the dental practice

You’ve probably got a whole practice full of perfectly nice, normal patients who behave predictably. But then there’s that one who is full of … surprises. Whether it’s something they said or something they did, these out-of-the-ordinary patients never cease to shock and amaze as they take outlandish to a whole new level. The upside? We’re left with some pretty unforgettable stories.

We polled you, our readers, for your tales of the patients that will always stick out in your memory-for the weirdest reasons. From the bizarre to the disgusting, the unbelievable to the hilarious, your anecdotes did not disappoint. Here are the weirdest of the strange stories that we compiled.

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The strangest dental crimes in the United States

Sometimes, people make mistakes. Sometimes, people get caught and arrested for those mistakes. And sometimes, those people are dentists.

We searched the country for the most bizarre, hilarious, disgusting, unbelievable and absurd stories of dental and tooth-related crimes. The results are astounding: From dentists having armed standoffs with law enforcement, to misbehaving tooth fairies, to wrestling matches with patients, our 50 states are chockfull of toothy crime stories that will make you cringe, laugh and leave you dumbfounded.

There were a plethora of stories to choose from, but for this compilation, we tried to steer clear of the really bad apples and keep it PG. So, while some of these stories are sure to shock, we’ve avoided coverage of the really horrid stuff and have instead focused on the weird and wacky.

So, check out the action in your state, or click through them all. Dive on in, and get ready: It’s going to be a wild ride. 

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The 9 craziest ways people have pulled teeth

Pulling loose teeth is nothing new - but the ways these people did it certainly are.

Losing a tooth is a right of passage of sorts, and some parents are ensuring that it is a memorable one for their loose-toothed children.

We gathered up the nine most creative, bizarre and downright insane ways that folks have pulled loose baby teeth, and boy, are they impressive. (Beware: many of these will make dental professionals cringe!)

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The top 10 weirdest dental news stories

From fake dentists to dental amnesia to patients using superglue as dental cement, there were a plethora of bizarre tooth-related stories gracing the headlines in the past few years.

Because such insanity should not go unacknowledged, we're taking a look back at these stories that made us stop and say "WHAT?!," and have compiled a list of our favorite strange, hilarious and downright crazy dental news stories. An absurd mix of headlines made our top 10 list - and they are tales you'll have to read to believe!

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The top 13 freakiest dental horror stories

Ghosts are scary. Ghouls are scary. But these creepy apparitions have nothing on some of the terrifying things that happen in the dental practice.

“Surely dentistry can’t be THAT unnerving,” a layperson might say. We wanted to find out just how wrong they are. We polled our readers for the scariest, grossest, freakiest, most bizarre things they’ve seen in the dental practice, and got an overwhelming amount of cringe-worthy responses. There were dozens of astonishing tales, but we narrowed it down to the top 13. Some will make you shiver. Some will make you gag. Some will make you laugh. But all of them are guaranteed to leave you shaking your head in amazement.

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The top 16 worst dental patients ever

So, you're having a great day. Everything is going smoothly.

And then... THAT patient walks in. The one who seems absolutely determined to ruin your day, totally tick you off, leave you dumbfounded or absolutely gross you out! 

We polled you, our readers, for your stories of the patients that will always stick out in your memory-for all the wrong reasons.

From the infuriating to the disgusting, the bizarre to the absurd, your tales did not disappoint. (In fact, as there were so many ridiculous anecdotes, keep an eye out for another installment of the weirdest things seen in a dental practice, coming soon!) Here are the worst of the worst stories that we compiled.

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Bonus weird story! Dentist arrested after allegedly pulling patient’s tooth while riding a hoverboard

There are certain things one expects to see when visiting the dentist for a checkup: toothbrushes and floss, mouth mirrors, X-ray machines and various instruments. Then there are things that have no business being in a dental office, like say, a hoverboard.

Apparently, Anchorage dentist Seth Lookhart of Clear Creek Dental didn’t get that memo. 

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