This Cleft themed issue features articles on restorative dentistry in the young cleft patient, the 'adult returner', and global perspectives on orofacial cleft management.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 11: This is a Wesdenco fluorescent mirror screen manufactured by the Western Dental Manufacturing Company Ltd, USA. It is stored in a black lightproof box to protect the fluorescent material from strong light. The mirror section is attached to the handle by a lockable ball joint, allowing the position of the screen to be adjusted. The best results are obtained in a darkened room as the screen glows when exposed to x-rays. The screen is placed inside the teeth, the x-ray tube is positioned and an exposure made, a shadow of the bone structure is visible on the screen and reflected back to the operator. The instructions remind the users 'always keep fingers well clear of the path of the x-rays'. Roland Hopwood, BDA Museum volunteer.

This issue features articles on conscious sedation, patient trust, and 'phossy-jaw'.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 10: This is a Wesdenco fluorescent mirror screen manufactured by the Western Dental Manufacturing Company Ltd, USA. It is stored in a black lightproof box to protect the fluorescent material from strong light. The mirror section is attached to the handle by a lockable ball joint, allowing the position of the screen to be adjusted. The best results are obtained in a darkened room as the screen glows when exposed to x-rays. The screen is placed inside the teeth, the x-ray tube is positioned and an exposure made, a shadow of the bone structure is visible on the screen and reflected back to the operator. The instructions remind the users 'always keep fingers well clear of the path of the x-rays'. Roland Hopwood, BDA Museum volunteer.

This issue features articles on MRONJ, oral benzodiazepines, and artificial intelligence.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 9: This is a bite frame for taking upper and lower impressions. A similar design but less ornate is illustrated in the S. S. White catalogue, 1867. It is described as an impression cup and its advantages of use included ‘having a surplus of plaster to be acted upon after the cup is placed in the mouth and brought to its proper position thus preventing the occurrence of any blanks or other imperfections in the impression’. Roland Hopwood, BDA Museum volunteer.

This issue features articles on nitrous oxide, consent, and pre-cardiac surgery assessments.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 8: In 1892, Martin L Bosworth, from Rhode Island USA, patented an improvement to his original dental plugger of the year before. This new design incorporated a sprung tip which, under pressure, retracted part-way into the head before springing back once pressure was released. The pressure required could be adjusted by turning the screw beneath the casing. The process of filling teeth, especially with gold foil, could take hours; so, the mechanical advantage of this ‘plugging machine’ would have reduced the fatigue associated with the procedure by speeding up the process quite considerably. To the relief of both dentist and patient!

This issue features articles on oral surgery referrals, vulcanised rubber, and suicide prevention.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 7: This is a 4-pronged wound retractor made by Wasserstein and Partner. Similar retractors were available in the Arnold and Sons catalogue 1904 priced at 8s 6d and in the Allen and Hanbury’s surgical catalogue in 1910. The retractor in the catalogue is named Volkmanns wound retractor. Richard von Volkmann (1830–1889) was a prominent German surgeon. He is considered to be the father of orthopaedic surgery. He was a contemporary of Lister and was Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Halle 1867–1889.

This issue features articles on sleep apnoea, the cost-of-living crisis, and COVID-19 self-isolation patterns.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 6: With a patent date of 1923, this design of ‘pliers’ could stretch a smaller pre-formed 22ct gold full crown to exactly fit the prepared tooth. The gold crown would be slipped over the appropriate ‘split-head’ and by squeezing the handles together opened the plier head within the crown, thereby enlarging the crown circumference to fit the tooth precisely.

This themed issue features articles on managing tooth wear, rehabilitating a severely worn dentition, and monitoring erosive tooth wear.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 5: Originally designed by Savigny in 1798, this later version of an extraction tool with ebony handle, brass shaft and steel serrated end was reasonably effective in removing the retained roots of fractured anterior teeth. By rotating the handle, the serrated end cut its way down the periodontal membrane of the tooth, thereby opening a gap between the root surface and surrounding alveolar bone. The spike, or pulp pin, would be forced down the pulp canal at the same rate as the trephine advanced along the root surface. For a very long straight root, the spike could be further extended by adjusting the sliding side screw, thereby giving the instrument greater ‘tugging’ power. Brian Williams – BDA Museum volunteer.

This issue features articles on macrodontia, saliva contamination, and ethnic inequalities.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 4: Originally designed by Savigny in 1798, this later version of an extraction tool with ebony handle, brass shaft and steel serrated end was reasonably effective in removing the retained roots of fractured anterior teeth. By rotating the handle, the serrated end cut its way down the periodontal membrane of the tooth, thereby opening a gap between the root surface and surrounding alveolar bone. The spike, or pulp pin, would be forced down the pulp canal at the same rate as the trephine advanced along the root surface. For a very long straight root, the spike could be further extended by adjusting the sliding side screw, thereby giving the instrument greater ‘tugging’ power. Brian Williams – BDA Museum volunteer.

This issue features articles on student debt, dental contracts, and minimally invasive selective caries removal.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 3: The preparation of teeth used to be slow and uncomfortable for patients. Discs were used as the fastest method to shape teeth and were particularly popular in proximal reduction. Disc guards were essential to protect the mouth. A straight handpiece with a disc and disc guard was used for many different purposes – the greatest being in restorative dentistry where discs were used to prepare teeth for crowns (especially useful for ‘basket crown’ preparations). The introduction of high-speed rotary instruments and diamond burs made the use of discs and disc guards redundant. Margaret Wilson – Honorary Curator BDA Museum.

This issue features articles on oral lymphoma, the Dahl Concept, and entrustable professional activities in dental education.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 2: Trismus has been a problem encountered by operators for the teeth from time immemorial. Many gadgets have been tried with varying degrees of success to open the jaws. The screw mouth prop, as shown in the photo, proved one of the more popular devices. Usually used by patients themselves, the design allowed the thin tip of the screw to be positioned between any closely opposing molar teeth. By turning the screw clockwise, the jaws would be gradually eased apart as the screw diameter widened. Being made of wood rather than metal, it proved less damaging to teeth. In some cases, it took numerous attempts before adequate mouth opening was achieved. And it could be quite painful for the patient – even when self-inflicted! Brian Williams – BDA Museum volunteer.

This issue features articles on e-scooter-related facial injuries, extensive subcutaneous emphysema, and dental tourism.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!

Answer to Vol 234 Issue 1: This is an early example of a cataphoresis apparatus which was very popular at the turn of the 20th century which used electric current to anaesthetise the tooth. 'It has proved very successful for this purpose and it is at present unparalleled by any other method of anaesthesia'. This proved to be untrue and fell out of favour. C. Ash catalogue, 1899.

This issue features articles on 3D printed dentures, looked after children, and recruitment/retention in UK dentistry.

Cover image: Throughout this volume, each cover will include a mystery dental object. Can you guess what it is..? Look out for the answer in the following issue!