Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Canadian Dental Collection
Category
Dental
Animal Remains
Dentures
Classification
Dental
Animal Remains
Dentures
Accession Number
010020455
Description
Hand carved out of ivory upper denture with porcelain teeth added; teeth present are two first and second molars, the central and lateral incisors, canines and premolars; there is one small hole drilled into the back of each end of the denture, one is empty and one has a metal post in it; there areā¦
Hand carved out of ivory upper denture with porcelain teeth added; teeth present are two first and second molars, the central and lateral incisors, canines and premolars; there is one small hole drilled into the back of each end of the denture, one is empty and one has a metal post in it; there are metal posts inserted through the proper left premolar and the proper right second molar
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund; previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
Dates
1825
1835
circa 1825-1835
Date Remarks
Date based on donor's remarks
Material
ivory: cream
metal: black
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-B
Dimension Notes
Length 5.5 cm x Width 4.0 cm x Depth 1.3 cm
Condition Remarks
Some discolouration of the ivory; there is a line of discolouration across the front of the teeth; scratches present all over, exhibits signs of use
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Internet
JPG
Reference Comments
"British Dental Association Museum" website; CD #4
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 did not degrade like ivory or were too white like porcelain