Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Canadian Dental Collection
Category
Dental
Animal Remains
Teeth
Classification
Dental
Animal Remains
Dentures
Teeth
Accession Number
010020441
Description
Upper denture with plastic wood palate and carved deer teeth attached with household cement; teeth are small and fairly uniform in size; red mark present on top of dentures; black marks present where the denture contacted the gums
Upper denture with plastic wood palate and carved deer teeth attached with household cement; teeth are small and fairly uniform in size; red mark present on top of dentures; black marks present where the denture contacted the gums
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund (DCF); previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
On display “Toothless: A History of Dentures” at the Museum of Healthcare; 27 Oct 2015
Dimension Notes
Length 6.9 cm x Width 5.4 cm x Depth 1.4 cm
Condition Remarks
Scuff marks from use and wear; dark discolouration where the denture contacted the gums
Copy Type
Original
Research Facts
Denture was hand made by Francis Wharton from the teeth from a deer he hunted in the Fall of 1967; he ground the teeth down until they were the right size and shape;.he then used plastic wood to create the plate by molding it around the roof of his mouth; the teeth are held into place with household cement; the teeth worked well and he ate the venison with the deer's own teeth.
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.
Exhibit History
On display: "Teeth in Time", Main level, Rm 1009, Museum of Health Care, April 12, 2011-November 2014