Word of Mouth

Trips to the dentist are reimagined as Hellraiser-style horrors in this film aimed at helping dentists allay their patients’ fears.

This episode of a series called Dental Progress analyses the occasionally problematic relationship between dentists and their patients, with the aim of encouraging improved patient uptake. The film outlines the various reasons why patients might be apprehensive about keeping their appointments, illustrating their worst-imagined fears with a series of heightened scenes utilising horror film imagery.

As the film progresses the technique is enhanced by switching instantly back and forth between both the real and imagined realms, via atmospheric dissolves or instant jump-cuts, with its fantastic sequences seemingly inspired by contemporaneous horrors like Hellraiser (1987).