The dental key is an instrument that was used in
dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the Human tooth, teeth, gums, and Human mouth, mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, dis ...
to extract diseased
teeth
A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...
. Before the era of
antibiotic
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...
s,
dental extraction
A dental extraction (also referred to as tooth extraction, exodontia, exodontics, or informally, tooth pulling) is the removal of teeth from the dental alveolus (socket) in the alveolar bone. Extractions are performed for a wide variety of reas ...
was often the method of choice to treat dental
infection
An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...
s, and extraction instruments date back several centuries.
History
The dental key, (also known as Clef de
Garengeot,
Fothergill-Key, English-Key,
Dimppel Extractor or Tooth Key) was first mentioned in
Alexander Monro's ''Medical Essays and Observations'' in 1742, but had probably been in use since around 1730. It remained popular into the 20th century when it was replaced by the more modern forceps.
Design and use
Modeled after a door key, the dental key was used by first inserting the instrument horizontally into the mouth, then its "claw" would be tightened over a tooth. The instrument was rotated to loosen the tooth. This often resulted in the tooth breaking, causing jaw fractures and soft tissue damage.
The design of the dental key evolved over the years. The original design featured a straight shaft, which caused it to exert pressure on the tooth next to the one being extracted. This led to a newer design in 1765 by
F. J. Leber where the shaft was slightly bent. In 1796 the claw was fixed via a swivel enabling it to be set in various positions by a spring-catch. Newer designs, such as those manufactured by medical instrument maker Charriere featured interchangeable claws. By the end of the 19th century, the introduction of
forceps
Forceps (: forceps or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; the Latin plural ''forcipes'' is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forcep ...
made popular notably by Sir
John Tomes
Sir John Tomes (21 March 1815 – 29 July 1895) was an English dental surgeon.
Life
The eldest son of John Tomes and Sarah, his wife, daughter of William Baylies of Welford-on-Avon, then in Gloucestershire, he was born at Weston-on-Avon in Glo ...
, rendered the tooth key mostly obsolete. However, a modern version of the dental key, the Dimppel Extractor, briefly revitalized its use later in the 20th century.
See also
*
Dental cavities
Tooth decay, also known as caries,The word 'caries' is a mass noun, and is not a plural of 'carie'.'' is the breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria. The resulting cavities may be a number of different colors, from yellow to black ...
*
Elevator (dental)
Footnotes
References
*Bennion, E. ''Antique Dental Instruments''. London: Sotheby's Philip Wilson Publishers, Ltd., 1986.
*U.S. Naval Dental School. ''Handbook for dental equipment, maintenance and repair. For publication by Bureau of Naval Personnel''. 1st ed. Washington, 1952.
*Colyer, F. ''A note on the dental key''. Proc R Soc Med. (1951), 44(8):652-5.
*Dummer, S. ''Key to extractions''. BDA News (2008), 21 (7): 22.
Toothkey BDA Museum web page. Accessed 29 July 2010.
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Dental equipment
Surgical instruments