Life — November 15, 1917 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical illustration depicting a dentist's office filled with an absurd array of mechanical contraptions and equipment. The cartoon shows exaggerated, intimidating dental apparatus—pulleys, chains, drills, and various industrial-looking devices—creating a chaotic, almost torture-chamber atmosphere. The humor targets dental anxiety, a common fear. By rendering the dentist's office as an overcomplicated, mechanical nightmare filled with unnecessary gadgetry, the artist mocks both the genuine fear patients have of dental visits and perhaps also satirizes the era's rapid technological advancement and dentists' tendency to showcase newfangled equipment. The caption emphasizes this is the "first visit," suggesting the patient's innocent terror at encountering this bewildering mechanical landscape.