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Before the NHS, There Was This

A Victorian dentist's chair on display at Blists Hill Victorian Town museum, now under National Trust stewardship. The ornate black cast-iron chair is upholstered in worn burgundy velvet with padded armrests and a shaped headrest. Beside it stands a small circular dentist's tray on a decorative iron stand, holding instruments, including a labelled "Hypodermic Syringes" and a white enamel spittoon bowl. Behind the chair, a dark wooden cabinet and worktop are lined with rows of glass apothecary bottles, small white ceramic pots, and period dental products, including a box labelled "De Trey's Diatoric" and a tin of toothpaste.

Victorian dentistry on display — mercifully, appointments are no longer available.

Posted on June 29, 2026June 29, 2026 Full size 1920 × 1080

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