The forthcoming exhibition 'Teeth' at the Wellcome Collection in London will trace 'the evolution of our relationship with our teeth and with the profession that has shaped the way we live with them – or without them'.

Credit: © Michael Ochs Archives/Stringer/Moviepix/Getty

The exhibition, which runs from 17 May to 16 September 2018, will follow modern history's tireless pursuit of the pain-free mouth and the perfect smile. It will draw on the wealth of images, objects and artworks held in the collections held by Henry Wellcome, supplemented by loans from key collections in Northern Europe.

The BDA Museum is delighted to be lending objects to the Teeth exhibition. Highlights from the BDA collection include the dental instrument set of Sir Edwin Saunders (dentist to Queen Victoria); a denture of King William IV made by dentist Isaac Wilson of Bath; dental health education posters which are currently providing the inspiration for the BDJ covers; 1960s dental surgery equipment; and an early portable regulating ether inhaler.

The posters going on loan to the Wellcome are:

  1. 1

    'Brush the cobwebs away' by Abram Games – the cover of the current issue of the BDJ, Volume 224 issue 5

  2. 2

    'Smile and the world laughs with you', a poster produced by the Dental Health Board of the UK, planned for Volume 224 issue 12 (22 June 2018).

For more information on the exhibition visit https://wellcomecollection.org/press/teeth-forthcoming-exhibition-wellcome-collection.