Forceps, Dental
Production date
Circa 1840-1850
Description
A set of dental forceps with a round thin metal rod at one end with a movable semi-circular piece of metal horizontal to it. A tapering wooden handle is attached to the metal rod.
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Object detail
Production date
Circa 1840-1850
Classification
Credit line
A
visit
to
the
dentist
may
still
be
scary
for
some
but
spare
a
thought
for
those
treated
without
the
benefits
of
modern
technology.
Until
about
1800
it
was
the
local
barber
who
extracted
teeth
and
offered
blood
letting
services.
The
removal
of
all
of
your
teeth
by
the
age
of
25
was
not
unusual.
This
dental
“key”
was
invented
during
the
1770s
and
provided
a
speedy
yet
brutal
method
of
tooth
extraction
at
a
time
before
local
anaesthetic.
The
claw
was
wrapped
over
the
crown
before
a
simple
brisk
turn
of
the
handle
removed
the
tooth.
Unfortunately
it
was
not
unknown
for
part
of
the
jawbone
to
come
away
as
well.
The
use
of
the
“key”
continued
well
into
the
nineteenth
century.
Accession number
A68.003
Collection type
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