The most frightening promise of October in the dental industry used to be excessive candy consumption.

Today, popular initiatives such as  Kool Smiles‘ Operation Troop Treats, the largest Halloween candy buyback program by a dental provider in the United States, are chipping away at the holiday’s cavity-creating traditions one ton at a time.  (Operation Troop Treats has contributed to a total of more than five tons of sweets shipped to U.S. soldiers overseas and is now in its fourth consecutive year.)

(images via: English Russia)
An abandoned Soviet-era dental college and clinic in Russia earns top position in Web Urbanists’ compilation of “Nine Creepy Abandoned Dentist Offices.”

So what’s terrifying in today’s dental blogosphere? Hands down, it’s the Web Urbanists’ photo compilation of “Nine Creepy Abandoned Dentist Offices.”

From reformatories in England to clinics in Russia these deserted dental operatories and offices would’ve been ideal haunts for the late “maestro of horror” Wes Craven. The U.S. is not exempt — four of the nine selections are within the 50 states — the former Forest Haven children’s psychiatric clinic in Laurel, Md. is shown above.

Not convinced? View all nine at: https://weburbanist.com/2013/09/15/is-it-safe-nine-creepy-abandoned-dentist-offices/ and decide for yourself.

They’re hardly #tbt images of the dental practices I visited in the 1970s, and for that I am grateful.

Let the haunting begin.