Toothkey, 1870s-1880s

1870

Toothkeys were known as one of the most brutal instruments used in dentistry. While trying to extract a tooth, the claw and bolster place extreme pressures on the bone surrounding it. In some cases, the adjacent teeth and adjoining bone were fractured, leaving huge voids with tissue and bone loss. However, they worked perfectly for loose tooth extractions!

Courtesy of UNMC College of Dentistry, through the support of the Dental Museum Fund and curated by Dr. Stanton D. Harn