Upper denture completely carved of ivory with a complete set of teeth minus the third molars
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Transfer from the Dental Canada Fund; previously housed in the Dentistry Canada Museum (Ottawa)
Dates
1750
1760
circa 1750-1760
Date Remarks
Date based on donor's remarks
Material
ivory: cream
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-B
Dimension Notes
Length 4.8 cm x Width 3.5 cm x Depth 1.2 cm
Condition Remarks
Shows signs of use; ivory is discoloured around the edges of the teeth and the top and underside of the dentures; there are scratches all over; the second molar on the proper right has a crack in it and there is a crack along the gumline that stretches nearly the length of the proper right side
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