Novocaine is a 2001 American black comedy thriller film written and directed by David Atkins and starring Steve Martin, Helena Bonham Carter, Laura Dern, Lynne Thigpen and Elias Koteas.

His life takes an interesting turn when a beautiful and seductive new patient, Susan Ivey, comes to him seeking a root canal and a little pain relief.

On Susan's initial office visit, Frank schedules her for a root canal the very next day and offers her some Ibuprofen to address her pain in the meantime.

The agent leaves with the promise that if Frank fails to produce the empty containers in two days, the DEA will place him under arrest.

That night Frank goes to Susan's hotel room to demand the empty containers, threatening that he'll call the police if she doesn't provide them.

The next day at his office, Frank is confronted violently by Susan's brother, Duane Ivey, who says to him: "Stay the hell away from my sister" and "I don't appreciate your threats".

However, Duane came along with Susan, which was not part of the plan, and Jean ended up killing him, using Frank's dentures to make the bite marks.

[9] The film was shot in Chicago over 32 days,[9] with additional location shooting done in Cedarburg and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

[10][11][12] This was the second movie where Steve Martin plays an abusive dentist, the last was in the 1986 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors as Orin Scrivello, DDS.

[4] The Los Angeles Times review had high praise for Martin's portrayal and director Atkins' work, but found the appearance by Kevin Bacon "ludicrous" and the film's tension reduced by the "virtually slapstick run from the cops".

[5] In her review for Salon, Stephanie Zacharek found the film "so aggressively stylish that it comes off more like a stunt" with a "plodding" plot.