Dental torture
Dental torture is a form of torture involving the infliction of pain or damage to the mouth.
Dental Torture techniques include: - Disembodying of any part of the mouth. This includes the gums, tongue, teeth, etc. - Damaging of any part of the mouth, usually the teeth. This often involves drilling excessively without anesthetic. - Misuse of dental equipment. This could include using needles or other sharp and/or otherwise painful apparatus to intentionally damage the victim.
Dental torture tends to be greatly feared thanks to the intense pain it is capable of inflicting, as well as the non-regenerative nature of mature teeth. Damage resulting from dental torture can also make eating and drinking excruciatingly painful or difficult.
Dental torture techniques can be numerous, depending on the creativity of the torturer. Inclusion of non-dental materials, such as nails, is sometimes used to increase the pain afflicted.
Dental torture is usually considered a crime, punishable by most if not all law enforcement agencies. Penalties for dental torture may range from fines, to jail time, or even execution depending on location and the severity of the torture.
Dental torture in media
- Actor Steve Martin plays sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello in 1986 movie Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film).
- In the movie, "Oldboy", the protagonist tortures someone by removing his teeth with a claw hammer.
- An episode of the television series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex shows one character being threatened with dental torture by knife.