The trial of a Dutch man dubbed the “dentist of horror” after allegedly mutilating the mouths of more than 100 patients in France opened today.

Jacobus van Nierop, 51, ripped out healthy teeth and left dozens of patients in a remote French village with broken jaws, recurrent abscesses and septicaemia.

Initially locals seemed delighted by the hard-working and smiley dentist, the BBC reported.

Van Nierop, who went by the first name of Mark, was hired by a headhunter in 2008 and was initially welcomed by locals in the rural area of Chateau-Chinon, who were sorely lacking in medical services

But then the horror stories began. People said they had teeth ripped out for no reason - they were given heavy anaesthetic, then left with abscesses and infected gums.

He gave me seven or eight injections, and pulled out eight teeth in one go

Fillings were pulled out simply to be replaced by more expensive composite and some said their mouths bled for days.

The story of alleged victim Sylviane Boulesteix, 65, is typical of the allegations made against the dentist.

She visited him in March 2012 to have braces fitted. "He gave me seven or eight injections, and pulled out eight teeth in one go. I was gushing blood for three days," she told the AFP news agency.

Van Nierop claims he was suffering from a borderline personality disorder, complicated with a transgender issue and suicide attempts. Detained in a French prison since January 2015, he staged several hunger and thirst strikes, and once swallowed razor blades before he was to be questioned by the investigating judge.

Van Nierop could be sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 375,000 euros if convicted. More than 50 victims are also seeking damages.