The Smile Stealers : The Fine and Foul Art of Dentistry

‘Gory, beautiful, probing … It reads, in part, like the production notes for the most upsetting horror movie ever made: you don’t even have to look at the trays of spikes, just note the straps on the wooden dentist’s chair’ - The Times

A beautiful, erudite and somewhat gruesome visual survey of the history of dentistry told through artefacts from The Wellcome Trust's collection.

This handsome book follows the evolution of dentistry throughout the world from the Bronze Age to the present day, presenting captivating and grim illustrations of the tools and techniques of dentistry through the ages. Organised chronologically, The Smile Stealers interweaves beautiful and gruesome technical illustrations and paintings from the Wellcome Collection's unique archive of material from Europe, America and the Far East with seven authoritative and eloquent themed articles from medical historian Richard Barnett.

A comprehensive review of the development of the trade and discipline of dentistry, it covers topics as diverse as the very first dentures (produced by the Etruscans in the seventh century bce); the smile revolution in 18th-century portraiture; and the role of dentistry in forensic science - all in one beautifully illustrated volume.

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