Dentists are hard to like if you believe what you see in the movies. We’re always portrayed as horror film villains or just mean, unhappy people. Sometimes if you’re lucky you’ll see a film where the dentist is just incompetent or misguided, but rarely do we get to see dentists treated right on TV or in film. A recent poll found that dentists were among the most trusted of all professions, and so it should be. In reality, we’re kind, helpful and leave you smiling brighter, with more confidence then when you arrived.
With that in mind, we thought it would be fun to look at some cartoon dentists that might be a bit better way to show your children dentistry for the first time. Show your children these dentists and they might not be quite as scared to come visit us for the first time.
Finding Nemo
First of all, Finding Nemo’s Australian dentist is just trying to give a pet fish to his little niece. He has no idea what poor Nemo and his father have been through, how could he? This clip shows just how misunderstood a dentist can be, while showing a really pleasant office space that would be wonderful to visit.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
No cartoon dentist has ever shown the science of dentistry in such positive light. The likable elf who longs to become the antithesis of his fellow elves, fixing teeth instead of filling mouths with sugar. This origin of a dentist has more truth than all the live action ones we could find. One question though, how did the elves keep their teeth so clean before Hermey the Elf? That’s a lot of cavities for Santa and his team.
Bob & Margaret
Bob & Margaret won an Academy Award for presenting audiences with an average couple just getting by with their two dogs. Bob was a dentist, and a decent one at that. He loved helping people and once again shows a realistic portrayal of a dentist not marred by evil deeds or cruel intentions. Bob just wanted to do his job, love his family and live a comfortable life. Don’t we all just want what Bob wanted?
Mr. Bean (Animated Series)
After Bean made it from TV series to specials to the big screen, he made it into animation for a short lived animated series. The show mostly recreated bits from his live action series, recreated for children with more outlandish stunts and hygiene from Bean himself. What’s great about this sketch is how it shows Bean reacting just like any child would. He sees a terrifying dentist, who reveals himself to be a kindly little man who just wants to help Bean repair a missing tooth.
Topsy & Tim
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru-K2Bd3o8Y
Another British series, Topsy & Tim, has gone through numerous adaptations and incarnations. The series is aimed at the youngest of children, educating them and parents on new experiences, like visiting the dentist. Topsy & Tim’s visit to the dentist may be the perfect way to directly introduce your younger children to the dentist. The animation might be a little tacky, but the message is spot on, and it even shows how much fun seeing the dentist can be for children!
Charlie Brown For The American Dental Association
This infotainment special was made by the same team behind the famous Charlie Brown specials, only it was never used on television at all. Instead, the educational film shows Snoopy, Charlie, Linus and others learning how to brush their teeth take better care of their smiles. Sure it doesn’t really feature any dentists, but it does show Charlie leaving a dentist quite enthusiastically, the same way we want all our patients to leave us; happy and excited to maintain a great smile.
What animated dental heroes did we miss? Tell us in a reply to this blog on social media and be sure to send us other animated clips of dentists so we can share those with you too.
