History of Dentures from beginning to early 19th century

The purpose of this exhibit is to showcase University of Toronto Libraries’ collection* on dental prostheses while outlining periods of progression in dental prostheses science, and especially during the 19^th century.

The narrative below is divided into two main parts: Firstly, a summary of historical developments in dental prosthesis during antiquity and in the modern era. The second piece in this exhibition is a description of the types of dentures, the obtaining of impressions, and the kinds of denture materials used specifically in the 19^th century. The 19^th century marked a turning point for the advancements of dentures that rendered mass availability and use, in addition to sowing the seeds for modern advancements in denture technology.

This narrative is unique from other works because it sources primary resources from then-contemporary dentists of the 19^th century. These resources constitute dentistry library collection items and describe aspects of denture construction at that time and during past ages as well. This exhibition is by no means an exhaustive history of dental prostheses development.

*Please click this link to see digitized versions of all of the rare books in the Dentistry Library's collection.