Recalling the roots of dentistry

Learn more about the school's dental artifact collection.

19 April 2012

The School of Dentistry museum for the past 90 years has been located in the Dentistry/Pharmacy Centre. Early on the museum was one of only three such museums in Canada.

The museum was comprised of three collections; paldeoanthropology (hominid fossil casts and rare original Australopithecine fossilized bones depicting early human evolution), comparative odontology (rare animal skulls, teeth of dinosaurs, a pair of magnificent ivory tusks, narwhal skull) and historical dental artifacts (early dentures carved in ivory from 1815, early dental instruments with ivory handles, gold foil hammers and treadle dental drills).

With the School of Dentistry's move from the Dentistry/Pharmacy Centre to the Edmonton Clinic this summer/fall, our new space will not accommodate this unique collection. What this means is part of our history will be lost.

The museum and its unique collection has a crucial role in the education process by helping dental students understand the origins and development of the profession, while they move forward into the promising future of dentistry. Including exhibits that teach the importance of oral health to a healthy life is a powerful learning tool.

If you would like to express your interests in the decisions being made on where our collection will be stored, please contact Dr. Loren Kline.
Phone: 780-492-4468
Email: lkline@ualberta.ca

Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to continue always as a child. If no use is made of the labours of past ages, the world must remain in the infancy of knowledge. ~ Cicero