(Above) Portions of the maxillae and mandible of a child aged 7 years 3 months showing the developing dentition. From the collection of Sir John Tomes (donated to RCS by Tomes)
Exhibition: Sir John Tomes: Victorian Dental Pioneer, Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, until September 25 2010
For most people a trip to the dentist is a thing to be avoided, dreaded or at best endured, but as a new exhibition at the Hunterian Museum at London’s Royal College of Surgeons reveals, we have a Victorian dental pioneer to thank for making the dentist's chair a lot less daunting than it used to be.
The Museum is currently exploring the world of dental pioneer and former Royal Society member Sir John Tomes with an exhibition celebrating his life, career and achievements.
15 denticles and malformed teeth which were extracted from a 25-year-old Indian male. From the collection of Sir John Tomes (donated to RCS by Tomes)
Tomes is credited as being the man who dragged dentistry out of the backstreets and barber's shops to make it the professional practice it is today. Before Tomes came along, anyone could set up shop as a dentist, but thanks to an 1878 Act of Parliament he managed to restrict the use of the word dentist to suitably qualified persons.
The first person to register himself as a dentist was Tomes and, together with colleagues, he helped to enforce the Act by forming the British Dental Association in 1880, becoming its first president.
(Above) A Specimen Tomes used in his teachings and research. Courtesy Royal College of Surgeons
A tireless innovator, researcher, inventor and advocate, he was knighted in 1886 for eminent services to his profession.
The exhibition includes dental artefacts dating back to the 19th century, including some of Tomes' original instruments, texts and drawings exploring the dentist's pioneering clinical work.
And this being the Hunterian, there are also skulls, teeth and a variety of specimens on show which Tomes used and prepared to educate students about the structure and development of the teeth and jaws.
A drawing of the above specimen taken from Tomes' book, A System of Dental Surgery (1887)
"Sir John Tomes is a seminal figure in the history of British dentistry and his clinical, educational and political interests played a vital role in the development of modern dentistry and dental surgery," says Museum Director Briony Hudson.
"It is therefore fitting that the Hunterian Museum, in the heart of the Royal College of Surgeons, is showcasing Tomes’s life and achievements, reflecting on how dentistry has progressed in history from a trade to becoming a highly respected career in medicine."
Tomes was the first dentist to be elected to the Royal Society on the basis of his research.
(Above) Mandible with the alveolar surface bone removed to show the structure of each tooth from root apex to crown tip and the developing third molars. From the collection of Sir John Tomes (donated to RCS by Tomes)
The exhibition marks the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society. Between November 2009 and November 2010, the Royal Society is celebrating its 350th anniversary, with a series of events, exhibitions and publications to increase the profile of science and engagement with science among the public.
It is part of the Society's Local Heroes programme, a nationwide celebration of Royal Society Fellows at 50 museums and galleries.
For further information about the 350th anniversary celebrations, visit www.seefurther.org.
The collection at The Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons, is a Designated collection.
