Sunday, April 20, 2014

Book review: The Strange Story of False Teeth

The Strange Story of False Teeth by John Woodforde
Universal-Tandem Publishing Co. Ltd, 1971, Great Britain


In one of the first season Monty Python sketches (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3W8oL7eyRo) a man goes to a book shop and wants to buy a copy of "An Illustrated History of False Teeth". Well I don't surely know if there is really such book, but the closest one I found was a small book "The Strange Story of False Teeth"  by John Woodforde.  Since the book was first published in 1968, it is possible that this book is referred in the Monty Python sketch made during 1969-1970.

In this book the history of dental care from Bronze age to modern times is presented. The first false teeth were unpleasant to use, and often had to be removed while eating. The dental treatment business was attractive to many quack dentists, and often the treatment caused more damage to the patient. Also the teeth used in the dentures or implants were often acquired from unpleasant sources. 

Woodforde uses a lot of literary sources and images of old drawings, paintings and caricatures. Also stories are told of historical figures who used false teeth, such as Abraham Lincoln and Grover Cleveland. The book was quite fun to read, and gave a lot of insight about the social history of teeth.

Recommended but with reservation for those who are afraid of dentist.

Rating:Good

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