Jason Clarke Antiques

Description

For sale a Georgian period cased set of dental scalers.

Comprised of a mahogany case with satinwood banding to edge of the lid. The sectioned interior of the case retains its original silk velvet lining with a mirror covered by a silk pad to the top of the lid. The base contains six steel descaling tools comprising of five various scalers and a file. All the tools have a screw thread to the base in order to be interchangeable with the handle as required.

These sets are rarely named to a specific maker but became popular among the upper classes of eighteenth and early nineteenth Georgian society, a time where “professional” dentistry was carried out by largely unqualified and unlicensed practitioners. It wasn’t until the late 1850’s that some sort formal regulation on practicing dentists became introduced.

With the lack of certainty of the credentials of practising dentists during the period it is little wonder why those that could afford these instruments, considered themselves just as good at maintaining their own oral hygiene.

An interesting and complete pocket set of dental scalers. They are more often found in leather cases and less regularly found with the inclusion of a tooth file.

Circa 1800