https://api.wellcomecollection.org/catalogue/v2/context.json

Caricature- Punch vol 146, 1 April 1914

When false teeth or caps are made, dentists try to match the colour of the new tooth to the rest of their patient’s teeth. Made by the Dental Manufacturing Co, this shade guide was used for porcelain teeth and shows 24 slightly different colours. Over the years, a range of materials has been used to make false teeth, including ivory, porcelain and mother of pearl – some patients even had dentures made from donated human teeth. Today, false teeth are made from acrylic.

Tooth shade guide, England, 1890-1910

A steam bath billows in the background. The two men furthermost to the right hold a glass eye and a pair of false teeth respectively

An emaciated old man is transformed by four beauticians. Coloured lithograph by Ch.-J. Fuhr after Ch. Bargue, 1852.

Three vignettes relating to Georges Fattet the inventor of false teeth. Lithograph.

Case of fatal hemorrhage from perforation of the aorta by false teeth impacted in the oesophagus

Bears dialogue: 'Customer (nervously). "Ah! They must be very irksome at first." Dentist (exhultantly). "Not a bit of it , sir! Look here, sir!" (Dexterously catching his entire set.) "Here's my uppers, and here's my unders!"' Sign on wall reads: "Fang!! Painless dentistry - moderate charge"

A dentist demonstrating the adaptability of false teeth to an apprehensive patient by taking out his own. Wood engraving by C. Keene, 1877.

A couple assemble their false body parts: false teeth, a glass eye and wigs. Coloured lithograph by F-S. Delpech after L. Boilly, 1825.

A notice reads: "Mineral teeth. Monsieur de Charmant from Paris engages to affix from one tooth to a whole set without pain. Mouns. D can also affix an artificial palate or a glass eye in a manner peculiar to himself. He also distills."

N. Dubois de Chémant demonstrating his own and a woman's false teeth to a prospective male patient with disordered teeth. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

'Prize medal artificial teeth' advertised with 5 years warranty with every set. Civil Service Dental Company Ltd. 1895? 

The false teeth are advertised as being available in vulcanite, silver, platina and gold. On the front is an illustration of the premises at 150 Brompton Road, London. 

EPH644:2 / Dentistry ephemera : Swanson material. Box 3.

Civil Service Dental Company Ltd., 1895?

Booklet advertising Goodall's Dental Institute's services. Extractions, scaling, fillings and false teeth are advertised. The front has a picture of a glamorous, smiling young woman with perfect teeth which is repeated on the back with several teeth missing and captioned "Before visiting Goodall's".
Item no. 879 in the Swanson ephemera collection. 

 Goodall's Dental Institute, 73, Strand, [London], W.C.

Are you afraid to laugh? / Goodall's Dental Institute.

N. Dubois de Chémant demonstrating his own, and a grotesque female patient's false teeth, to a prospective male patient with grossly disfigured teeth. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

Etruscans, people living in Etruria (Umbria and Tuscany, Italy), were the first to make dentures and false teeth, from 700 BCE onwards. Teeth from another person or an animal, such as an ox, were inserted into a band of gold with a metal pin and fitted on to the remaining teeth. Imagine eating with another person’s teeth! Only wealthy people could afford this treatment. There were no specialist dentists, so dentistry was one of the duties of a physician.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

Copy of Etruscan denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Etruscans, people living in Etruria (Umbria and Tuscany, Italy), were the first to make dentures and false teeth, from 700 BCE onwards. Teeth from another person or an animal, such as an ox, were inserted into a band of gold with a metal pin and fitted on to the remaining teeth. The teeth could be easily removed if necessary. Imagine eating with another person’s teeth! Only wealthy people could afford this treatment. There were no specialist dentists so den-tistry was one of the duties of a physician.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

Copy of an Etruscan denture, Europe

Etruscans, people living in Etruria (Umbria and Tuscany, Italy), were the first to make dentures and false teeth, from 700 BCE onwards. Teeth from another person or an animal, such as an ox, were inserted into a band of gold with a metal pin and fitted on to the remaining teeth. Imagine eating with another person’s teeth! Only wealthy people could afford this treatment. There were no specialist dentists so dentistry was one of the duties of a physician. This is a copy of an original denture with two teeth, which was found in a tomb in Etruria, Italy.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

Copy of an Etruscan denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Teeth can be lost through accident or infection, leaving a gap. False teeth can be made to fill the gap. A tooth was inserted into a metal bridge like this one, fixed with a metal pin and fitted on to the remaining teeth. Donor teeth were from animals or other people. Imagine eating with someone else’s teeth! Only wealthy people could afford this treatment. There were no specialist dentists, so dentistry was one of the duties of a physician.

The original dental bridge was found in Teano, Southern Italy.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

Copy of Roman dental bridge, Europe, 1901-1930

Teeth could be lost through accident or infection, leaving a gap. False teeth were made to fill these gaps. A tooth was inserted into a metal bridge like this one with a metal pin and fitted on to the remaining teeth. The donor teeth came from animals or another person. Only wealthy people could afford this treatment. There were no specialist dentists so dentistry was one of the duties of a physician.

This object is a copy of an original found in Satricum, Latium, Italy. Latium is an ancient region of west central Italy now known as Lazio.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

Copy of a Roman denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Song describes how four Irishmen called Hogan, Casey, Murphy and "me" spent all their money drinking beer in a pub with an ex-Highland soldier called Patsy Callaghan, who had had his legs shot off from under his kilt when at war. To recover their solvency they got Callagahan drunk, then removed his wooden legs and false teeth, pawned them, and left Callaghan literally legless on the pub bench. His plight, depicted on the front cover of the songsheet, is regarded by all as very funny, though the speaker can't help wondering (in the words of the chorus) "What will poor Callaghan do?". Portrait of Michael Nolan in character on front cover

A disabled soldier has his wooden legs stolen by four Irishmen in a bar. Colour lithograph by H.G. Banks, ca. 1899.

 Zaro Agha became a celebrity in the 1920s and early 1930s for his reputed old age. According to his passport he was born in 1774. He is said to have moved to Istanbul during the last decade of the eighteenth century and to have spent over a hundred years working as a porter. He visited America in 1930 in order to get a set of false teeth: Prohibition was then in force, and its supporters touted his longevity as the result of abstinence from alcohol. His health was also attributed to his consumption of yoghurt, especially by yoghurt salesmen. On his death in 1934 Time magazine reported that "Doctors who examined Zaro Agha thought his abnormal pituitary gland responsible for his longevity, [but they] never wholly subscribed to his statement that he was born two years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence."

Caricature- Punch vol 146, 1 April 1914

Tooth shade guide, England, 1890-1910

Tooth shade guide, England, 1890-1910

An emaciated old man is transformed by four beauticians. Coloured lithograph by Ch.-J. Fuhr after Ch. Bargue, 1852.

Three vignettes relating to Georges Fattet the inventor of false teeth. Lithograph.

Case of fatal hemorrhage from perforation of the aorta by false teeth impacted in the oesophagus

A dentist demonstrating the adaptability of false teeth to an apprehensive patient by taking out his own. Wood engraving by C. Keene, 1877.

A couple assemble their false body parts: false teeth, a glass eye and wigs. Coloured lithograph by F-S. Delpech after L. Boilly, 1825.

N. Dubois de Chémant demonstrating his own and a woman's false teeth to a prospective male patient with disordered teeth. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

Civil Service Dental Company Ltd., 1895?

Are you afraid to laugh? / Goodall's Dental Institute.

N. Dubois de Chémant demonstrating his own, and a grotesque female patient's false teeth, to a prospective male patient with grossly disfigured teeth. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

Copy of Etruscan denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Copy of an Etruscan denture, Europe

Copy of an Etruscan denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Copy of Roman dental bridge, Europe, 1901-1930

Copy of a Roman denture, Europe, 1901-1930

A disabled soldier has his wooden legs stolen by four Irishmen in a bar. Colour lithograph by H.G. Banks, ca. 1899.

Zaro Agha, wearing a turban, in profile, reputedly at the age of 150 years. Photograph, ca. 1925.

Stay connected with email updates from Wellcome Collection

Wellcome collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Caricature- Punch vol 146, 1 April 1914

Tooth shade guide, England, 1890-1910

Tooth shade guide, England, 1890-1910

An emaciated old man is transformed by four beauticians. Coloured lithograph by Ch.-J. Fuhr after Ch. Bargue, 1852.

Three vignettes relating to Georges Fattet the inventor of false teeth. Lithograph.

Case of fatal hemorrhage from perforation of the aorta by false teeth impacted in the oesophagus

A dentist demonstrating the adaptability of false teeth to an apprehensive patient by taking out his own. Wood engraving by C. Keene, 1877.

A couple assemble their false body parts: false teeth, a glass eye and wigs. Coloured lithograph by F-S. Delpech after L. Boilly, 1825.

N. Dubois de Chémant demonstrating his own and a woman's false teeth to a prospective male patient with disordered teeth. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

Civil Service Dental Company Ltd., 1895?

Are you afraid to laugh? / Goodall's Dental Institute.

N. Dubois de Chémant demonstrating his own, and a grotesque female patient's false teeth, to a prospective male patient with grossly disfigured teeth. Coloured etching by T. Rowlandson, 1811.

Copy of Etruscan denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Copy of an Etruscan denture, Europe

Copy of an Etruscan denture, Europe, 1901-1930

Copy of Roman dental bridge, Europe, 1901-1930

Copy of a Roman denture, Europe, 1901-1930

A disabled soldier has his wooden legs stolen by four Irishmen in a bar. Colour lithograph by H.G. Banks, ca. 1899.

Zaro Agha, wearing a turban, in profile, reputedly at the age of 150 years. Photograph, ca. 1925.

Stay connected with email updates from Wellcome Collection

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome collection