People owning oral hygiene sets from the late 1700s show that the influence of doctors and the newly-emerging profession of dentists were having some impact, with people starting to think about taking care of their teeth.
The BDA Museum has a significant number of toothbrushes in its collection, including many nineteenth century brushes made from natural materials, and twentieth century brushes made from synthetics.
Thumb sucking continues to be an issue that concerns parents today, just as it did 100 years ago. Although a more all-rounded approach between child, parent and dentist is favoured now; quirky and unusual treatments can still be found such as a Combat thumb sucking hypnosis CD.
The BDA Museum has one of the largest collections of dental heritage in the UK. Spanning the 17th century to the present day, highlights of the collection include dental chairs, drills, oral hygiene products, and the infamous 'Waterloo' teeth. Pop in and see for yourself!