The Top 10 Best Movie Dentists
Celebrating Movie Dentists with a Top 10 List, Because they have “Fillings” too!
Well, I’ve done movie doctors, movie therapists, and movie nurses. It only seems right that I give movie dentists their time in the sun as well with a top ten list all their own. I’ll admit movie dentists usually don’t find themselves in exciting life or death situations, but they do keep those big-screen smiles gleaming. Of course, to qualify for this list, a character has to be a confirmed dentist in a film. On that note, I’m not going to require us to see them with patients in the chair, especially since watching them poke around in someone’s gaping maw is kind of gross. I’m also not restricting this list to strictly benevolent orthodontists. So, fair warning for those of you that have a fear of dental doctors. Surprisingly enough, there were still plenty of characters that qualified for a spot here, but I managed to narrow them down to the best of the best. So, make sure to brush and floss before reading ahead, because these movie dentists have a knack for knowing the “tooth” when it comes to that.
10. Dr. Julia Harris- Horrible Bosses and Horrible Bosses 2
First up on this list of movie dentists is a walking HR nightmare. The film is called Horrible Bosses for a reason, and Dr. Harris is definitely one of the worst. We’re all probably familiar with the trope of the horn dog boss that constantly harasses his younger employee to no end, but Julia Harris puts a twist on that by being an insatiable maneater determined to bed her poor dental assistant. When he actually refuses her (the character is played by Jennifer Aniston after all), she threatens to lie to his fiance and tell her that they had sex unless he does. Dr. Harris doesn’t actually care about her dental assistant at all though, because the first chance she gets, she moves on to “drill” another guy.
9. Dr. David Koepp- Ghost Town
I’ll admit that Dr. Koepp has some pretty terrible bedside manner (though it’s far from the worst on this list of movie dentists), but that’s probably because he has to deal with ghosts nagging him all day long to help them wrap up their unfinished business. Alright, so he was a jerk before that happened too, but what else do you expect from Ricky Gervais? After a near-death incident, Dr. Koepp gains the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. This is horrible because he can barely stand the living, much less the dead. At first, he refuses to have anything to do with the ghosts, but that proves to be much easier said than done. Finally giving in. Dr. Koepp actually finds happiness in helping the spirits shuffle off the mortal coil once and for all. He’s just the doc to see if you need a cavity filled and to have a few words with grandma, God rest her soul.
8. Dr. Stuart Price- The Hangover Trilogy
Just because movie dentists are doctors doesn’t mean they’re smart. Rather, it doesn’t guarantee that they make good decisions. Case and point, Dr. Stuart Price. The guy goes on a memory loss inducing bender in Las Vegas for a buddy’s bachelor party, which proves to have been one hell of a night (though who can remember?). I get it. It happens. However, dear old Dr. Price then goes on another one right before his own wedding. Like the first, it ends disastrously and leads to a scavenger hunt as they retrace their steps using various clues they pick up along the way. Despite his lack of judgment, Dr. Price must be pretty good at his job. I mean, he lost his tooth in the first film and it looked pretty good in the second (fun Fact: Ed Helms actually previously had a fake tooth that he simply had removed for filming.)
7. Dr. Perry Lyman- Thumbsucker
Look, I’m not going to say that Keanu Reeves plays Dr. Lyman didn’t play a role in the character earning a spot among these movie dentists, but it wasn’t the ONLY reason. Growing up can be tough, and everyone has a coping mechanism they lean on from time to time, but when Justin Cobb’s might threaten his smile, Dr. Lyman springs into action. Using hypnosis, Dr. Lyman helps Justin to find his spirit animal and give up sucking his thumb. This backfires a little since Justin can’t seem to cope without it. Still, Dr. Lyman’s heart was in the right place. Besides, Dr. Lyman makes up for it with some sage words of advice perfectly suited for the coming of age flick (you’ll have to watch to hear what they were). That combined with the fact that he actually uses hypnosis made him an undeniable choice for this list.
6. Dr. Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky- The Whole Nine Yards and The Whole Ten Yards
Did you know that dentists are prone to suicide? That’s what people tend to tell “Oz.” The guy is a neurotic mess stuck in a loveless marriage with a vindictive wife who wants him dead. He’s even trapped in debt that he inherited from his father-in-law after his dental practice went under. Just when he thinks things can’t go worse, the notorious contract killer Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski moves in next door. Turns out that Jimmy is in witness protection and actually a pretty nice guy, all things considered. Just as the two start to bond, Oz’s wife convinces him to turn Jimmy in to the mobsters he snitched on. In return, she’ll give him a divorce. Torn between desperately wanting a divorce and terrified of ratting on a hitman, Oz proves to have one of the more comedic adventures of the movie dentists on this list.