Tools of the Trade: Antique Dental Gear Shows History of Profession

When he started at RSDM, fourth-year student Peter Paradiso was mystified by the school’s dental museum -- three glass display cases filled with antique equipment.

“A lot of the pieces seem like props out of sci-fi movies, like the X-ray unit that looks like a death ray gun and the dental chair that looks like an electric chair,’’ describes Paradiso. “You can understand why your grandparents and parents feared going to the dentist.”

But by his third year, the somewhat gothic-looking implements began to seem familiar. “As we navigated through the curriculum, we started recognizing the different pieces and what they were used for,’’ he says.

The objects in the museum, donated by Tenafly dentist Perry Levinsohn in 1984, provide an illustrated look at dental history from the Edwardian period to the Eisenhower era. There are major innovations, like the handpiece powered by a foot treadle, and curios like the rusty Victorian tin of Novocain. An antique bottle with a medicinal label is filled with whiskey – a dentist’s attempt to skirt prohibition laws.

Dental stereoscope circa 1930s.

Other pieces include a pale pink stereoscope circa 1930s, used to view dental x-rays, and the Port-A-Dent kit, common on military bases (Levinsohn was in the U.S. Army Dental Corps.).

After passing the museum nearly every day in the breezeway between RSDM and New Jersey Medical School, Paradiso has gained a deep appreciation for the display. “Even though we’re spoiled with our access to technology, it’s still amazing to see how far our profession has come and where it’s going.”