Lower denture made of ivory with a complete set of human teeth minus the third molars; teeth are held in place by black metal posts
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund; previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
Dates
1780
1790
circa 1780-1790
Date Remarks
Date based on donor remarks
Material
metal: black
ivory: cream
paint: blue
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-B
Dimension Notes
Length 6.5 cm x Width 4.6 cm x Depth 1.8 cm
Condition Remarks
Shows signs of use; ivory is discoloured around the teeth and the front of the gums; all of the teeth have cracks in them; the proper left central incisor is broken and missing the front part of the tooth, while the first and second molars on the same side are broken missing the back side of the tooth; on the proper right side, the canine and first and second premolar are broken and missing the front part of the tooth; all the teeth are discoloured particularly on the inner palate
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