Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Canadian Dental Collection
Category
Dental
Human Remains
Classification
Dental
Human Remains
Teeth
Dentures
Accession Number
010020432
Description
Upper denture with a carved ivory base and human teeth; the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines are human; the first premolar, second premolar, first and second molars are all carved out of ivory; the human teeth are attached to the ivory with metal posts
Upper denture with a carved ivory base and human teeth; the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines are human; the first premolar, second premolar, first and second molars are all carved out of ivory; the human teeth are attached to the ivory with metal posts
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund (DCF); previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
Dates
1850
1870
circa 1850-1870
Date Remarks
Date based on research
Material
ivory: cream, brown
metal: brown
tooth enamel: grey
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-B
Temporary Location
On display “Toothless: A History of Dentures” at the Museum of Healthcare; 27 Oct 2015
Dimension Notes
Length 5.5 cm x Width 4.8 cm x Depth 2.0 cm
Condition Remarks
Ivory base has a crack running across the palate; on either side of the object there is a darkened angled groove; denture has discoloured on the top where it contacted the gums
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Internet
JPG
Reference Comments
“Ivory dentures” British Dental Association. Accessed June 3, 2011 http://www.bda.org/museum/collections/teeth-and-dentures/ivory-dentures.aspx; “A French dentist showing his artificial teeth” British Dental Association. Accessed June 3, 2011 http://www.bda.org/museum/collections/dental-art/porcelain-teeth.aspx; CD #2
Research Facts
Dr Ralph and Mrs Olga Crawford donated their extensive Canadian dental collection to the DCF to create the museum in 1997; further donations were received while Dr Crawford was Curator Emeritus at the Dental Canada Museum until its closure in 2008; ivory was a common material used in the manufacture of dentures in the 18th century; a down side to ivory is that it degrades quickly in the mouth resulting in bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth; human teeth were preferred as they do not degrade like ivory or are too white like porcelain
Exhibit History
On display: "Teeth in Time", Main level, Rm 1009, Museum of Health Care, April 12, 2011-November 2014