Buddy the Dentist: A weird, tooth-aching trip back to 1934

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school, slightly unhinged animation from the thirties, yeah, you will probably get a kick out of this. If you get squeamish about teeth—like, really squeamish—stay far, far away. This is pure, frantic 1934 energy that makes Panama Flo look like a slow-motion documentary.

The whole thing kicks off with a dog who has clearly been raiding the candy jar. He is clutching his jaw like he just bit into a brick of frozen sugar. Buddy, being the 'good' owner, decides to play amateur oral surgeon. The animation here is so bouncy it's almost dizzying.

Watching Buddy try to wiggle that tooth is pure agony. The sound effects are these sharp, metallic pings that make your own molars ache in sympathy. There is this one shot where the dog’s eye bulges out in pure panic that I swear I’ve seen in nightmares. 🦷

Then comes the gas. Because obviously, the logical step for a dog with a toothache is to inhale some mystery vapors. It backfires in the most Looney Tunes way possible. Of course it does. Buddy ends up gassed out of his mind and somehow loses his own tooth in the process. It’s a total wreck.

The pacing is absolutely frantic. It doesn't give you a second to breathe or ask why a dog has a dentist chair in his living room. It reminded me a bit of the chaos in Sailor's Luck, but way more focused on the physical discomfort of the characters.

Random Observations:

• The dog’s expression when he sees the pliers is gold.
• The background art is surprisingly detailed for a throwaway gag cartoon.
• That laughing gas scene? Way darker than it needs to be.
• The way Buddy’s tooth just sort of... pops out? Still recovering from that.

It’s a short, weird, and slightly painful seven minutes. It doesn't have the emotional weight of Worlds Apart, but it definitely leaves a mark. Literally.

If you watch it, maybe don't eat any candy while you do. Just a tip. 🍬