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Friday, 30th September 2005 (6106 views)

Medical and dental memorabilia is due to go on show at the Keizer Heritage Museum in Nebraska.

Gold has many dental applications and has been used to provide tooth fillings since ancient times, as its properties of biocompatibility, malleability and resistance to corrosion make it ideal for the job.

Dr Vern Casterline and Dr Jerry Bowerly were respectively doctor and dentist in Keizer's first medical office and some of their past equipment can be seen at the museum.

On display is a machine for making gold-foil fillings. When Dr Bowerly first started practising he would produce fillings from a mixture of copper, lead, silver and mercury, a mixture now regarded as poisonous and detrimental to health.

Today's amalgam typically consists of 50 per cent mercury and 50 per cent silver alloy, which includes metals such as zinc and tin. Gold is another popular alloy and is commonly used in an alloy form.

Visitors will also be able to see old-fashioned medical equipment such as blood-pressure cuffs and a replica of the first ever prescription.

The exhibition of medical and dental memorabilia will be running until November 1st.

 

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