Transplanting of Teeth
Object numberRCSSC/P 3158
CollectionSpecial collections
CategoryVisual works
TitleTransplanting of Teeth
DescriptionHand coloured cartoon showing a fashionable dentist engaged in tooth transplantation, by Thomas Rowlandson, 1787.
A fashionable 18th century dentist transplants teeth from poor children to wealthy patients. This was a lucrative but controversial practice; Rowlandson’s cartoon highlights the questionable ethics and exploitation of the poor. There were also clinical limitations: long-term success was rare as the transplanted teeth loosened over time. There was also a risk of cross infection from donor to recipient.
Production date 1787
Artist
presented
Physical Location
Location
Not on public display: contact museum for access conditions
Physical Information
Physical descriptionHand coloured engraving, 30.4cm by 44.6 cm, in glazed frame 43.5cm by 59cm.