Volume 219 Issue 10, 27 November 2015
'HISTORY OF DENTISTRY IN 12 OBJECTS' SERIES: PHANTOM HEAD: The cover series for volume 219 celebrates 80 years of the British Dental Association (BDA) Museum. Each front cover features an object which highlights a landmark in dental history. The catch is that the object is placed out of its historical context and in a modern environment, causing you to look twice at each picture. The landmark objects were chosen by BDA Museum volunteers.
The cover of this particular issue features an 'original' phantom head. With the opening of dental training establishments in the mid-nineteenth century, the London School of Dental Surgery opened in 1858 being a good example, it became essential for students to practise procedures on an artificial jaw prior to treating live patients. The original 'Phantom Head' was nothing more than a simple hinged device on a stand, very similar to the one in the foreground on the cover. This allowed students to develop their skills in cavity preparation using hand instruments and hand drills with speeds up to 15 rpm prior to the introduction of the revolutionary treadle drill in 1871 which could easily exceed 3000 rpm. At the AGM of the BDA in 1894 dentist Oswald Fergus presented his phantom head for the use of students and demonstrators. The Phantom Manikin Heads of today are a far cry from yesteryear with their facial features, latex gingivae and suction systems. Yet the concept of the phantom head remains the same; to train students in current techniques of conservative dentistry.
Photography by Filip Gierlinski Website: www.filskifoto.com; Email: filip@filskifoto.com
With thanks to the UCL Eastman Dental Institute for making their clinical skills lab available for this cover photoshoot. The Department of Continuing Professional Development at UCL Eastman Dental Institute has over 50 phantom head units within three dedicated state of the art clinical skills labs.
Editorial
-
Advertisement
Letter
News
Book Review
News
Book Review
News
Interview
-
When David met Sara Part 2
Collection:
