Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Eye of God at Newchurch in Pendle
St. Govor’s Well.
St. Govor’s Well
Shivsrushti
Pierced domes of Hammam Seffarine.
Hammam Seffarine
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
2 days ago
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
2 days ago
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism
3 days ago
The Big Well
This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London British Dental Museum

British Dental Museum

The collection contains over 25,000 items and details the painful dental practices of the past.

London, England

Added By
James T. Bartlett
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Lean back and relax in this chair from the late 19th century.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Lean back and relax in this chair from the late 19th century.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Smile!   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Porcelain teeth.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Early toothbrushes.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
The museum contains vintage posters.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Pots, tubs and boxes.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Vintage dental poster.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Diagram of a tooth key.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
Vulcanite (hard rubber) dentures.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
A display of teeth.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Dental tools.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
A toolbox of dentistry equipment.   jbartlett2000 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Austin Powers may have struck comedic gold with his British “bad teeth” bit, but this tiny museum tells a different story—though it’s definitely not for odontophobics.

Even people who don’t fear a routine trip to the dentist might feel queasy here too, as the cabinets and shelves are lined with an armory of pointy, scary-looking instruments. Here, you’ll even learn that in past centuries, it was probably a barber, blacksmith, or wigmaker who’d be pulling out your achy, rotting teeth, often using pliers or a “tooth key” (which works exactly as you might imagine).

It wasn’t until the 20th century that medical science became advanced enough to see beyond extraction. Instead of simply having your teeth cleaned or touched up, if you were lucky, your basically bare gums would’ve been squelched beneath dentures made of ivory, wood, porcelain, hard rubber, or, grossly, the teeth of soldiers killed in battle.

Fortunately, anesthetic and orthodontics have bought dental care to millions of people. At the British Dental Museum, you can gaze upon the horrors of the past and celebrate the industry’s progress. The museum houses over 25,000 items that span from the 17th century to the present. It’ll even help you trace your family history to see if any of your ancestors were dentists. There’s plenty of information about how the dental industry became legitimate and legal, too.

Artwork like a Victorian-era dental scene made of crab shells shows the old horrors of extraction. These vintage images are contrasted with more modern posters urging you to brush twice a day. The museum displays some of the early toothbrushes that were first popularized in England, which were made of pig bristle or horsehair and were often too expensive for the general public. Some of the dental pots, tubs, and pill boxes are works of art. Though these older versions are far more appealing than the plastic squeeze tubes of today, the pastes and powders in them might have contained charcoal, chalk, or some other abrasive ingredient.

In the museum’s front window, right by the door, is something from 1890. Even after over a century, it has barely changed: a recognizable reclining chair with a spittoon on the side, a large light overhead, and a foot-powered drill alongside. It practically invites you to sit back, relax, and open wide.

Related Tags

Teeth Museums And Collections Museums Medical Museums Dental Museums Pain

Know Before You Go

The museum has very limited opening hours: Tuesday and Thursday between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Community Contributors

Added By

jbartlett2000

Edited By

Snowdrop68

  • Snowdrop68

Published

September 22, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
British Dental Museum
64 Wimpole Street
London, England
United Kingdom
51.518486, -0.148752
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

River Tyburn Conduit

London, England

miles away

Anaesthesia Heritage Centre

London, England

miles away

The Wallace Collection Armory

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Nearby Places

River Tyburn Conduit

London, England

miles away

Anaesthesia Heritage Centre

London, England

miles away

The Wallace Collection Armory

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 108

Related Places

  • A view of an exhibit in the atrium.

    Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry

    This museum explores the history and development of dentistry and dental technology in Michigan.

  • Washington’s Dentures

    Baltimore, Maryland

    National Museum of Dentistry

    George Washington's dentures and Queen Victoria's dental instruments are in the nation’s official museum of the dental profession.

  • Museo de Anatomopatología

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Museo de Anatomopatología (Museum of Pathological Anatomy)

    Located in a veterinary school, this macabre exhibit displays the effects of animal diseases.

  • Wilson Greatbatch’s tool box.

    Clarence, New York

    Greatbatch Barn

    This exhibit pays tribute to the “humble tinkerer” who invented the implantable pacemaker.

  • Copenhagen, Denmark

    Medical Museion

    A novel collection of medical curiosities housed in an 18th-century surgeon training academy.

  • Musée Eudore-Dubeau

    Montreal, Québec

    Musée Eudore Dubeau

    The only museum about the history of dentistry in Canada.

  • The museum.

    London, England

    Anaesthesia Heritage Centre

    This knockout museum lies in a sleepy corner of London.

  • Field tools.

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Russian Museum of Military Medicine

    Rare documents, old instruments, and gruesome specimens showcase the history of military medicine.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.