Meetings between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his regional officials can often appear somewhat uncomfortable for the latter, as discussed on PhotoBlog in August.

On Tuesday, the governor of a remote region in the south of the country found himself in the dentist's chair as Putin joked around with the equipment.

Perhaps the mood of levity was brought on by the startling news that Putin has been awarded China's Confucian peace prize.

See more images of Vladimir Putin on PhotoBlog.