Tooth wrench
A tooth wrench is a historical medical device used to remove teeth .
There were different names for the tooth wrench:
- Clef de Garengeot
- Fothergill key
- French key
- English key
- German key.
The first tooth wrenches were made of iron and consisted of a straight shaft with a claw at the end. The claw initially consisted of two points that were attached by a metal pin. Because the first handles on these devices were ring-shaped, they looked like a door key.
There is also another interpretation of the term "tooth wrench":
- By unscrewing the teeth like a key (Bückling 1782)
- Through the common beard (Bücking 1782)
Only later were the handles artistically decorated, for example with
- ivory
- Mother of pearl
- different woods
- horn
- Etc.
In the 19th century, the tooth wrench was changed even further, up to different sizes and shapes. Special tooth wrenches have also been made for children.
The so-called pelican is a similar device .
literature
- Ullrich Rainer Otte: Jakob Calmann Linderer (1771-1840). A pioneer in scientific dentistry. Medical dissertation, Würzburg 2002 (with text edition of the teaching of all dental operations. 1834, here: pp. 62–68: Der Zahnschluessel .)