Dr. Ralph and Mrs. Olga Crawford Canadian Dental Collection
Category
Dental
Dentures
Classification
Dental
Dentures
Accession Number
010020465
Description
Upper denture with complete set of porcelain teeth set in pink vulcanite with a silver metal base; based is engraved with a decorative design on the top of the palate; denture does not have third molars; the front teeth posts are visible on the underside
Upper denture with complete set of porcelain teeth set in pink vulcanite with a silver metal base; based is engraved with a decorative design on the top of the palate; denture does not have third molars; the front teeth posts are visible on the underside
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund; previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
Dates
1850
1860
circa 1850-1860
Date Remarks
Date based on donor's remarks
Material
porcelain: cream
vulcanite: pink
metal: silver
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 4.2 cm x Width 4.5 cm x Depth 1.5 cm
Condition Remarks
Porcelain teeth show some discolouration; metal base is tarnished; shows 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; in 1864 the Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Co. was founded in the United States, producing dentures made with hardened rubber and helping them to become less expensive to make and thus more popular; porcelain was added to vulcanite bases to recreate the light pink colour of natural gums, since making the vulcanite the right colour weakened the denture