If you think going to the dentist today is scary, just imagine a guy with a bloody apron, a pair of forceps, a pen knife, and no anesthesia preparing to extract your tooth. The early days of dentistry were basically beleaguered by a lack of knowledge and a belief that before anything could get better, blood had to flow.

These old photos show just how terrifying tooth extraction was during the late 19th century to early years of the 20th century.