Educational Museum of Dental Health

The Samuel D. Harris Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland is a destination that will wow children into practicing good dental health. The exhibitions and programs help educate the public about good dental health and the history of oral medicine. Featured at the museum are "amazing teeth feats'' including George Washington's teeth. There are videos of vintage toothpaste advertisements, and a variety of exhibits that encourage good dental health. The museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute and has been designated by Congress as the nation's first museum of the dental profession. The museum features a traveling exhibit that reaches across the nation to more than 2 million people in over 32 cities. The museum is committed to "Providing the public, especially children, with access to information about oral health.''

Museum exhibits are designed to reach children of all ages. Exhibits include Queen Victoria's dental instruments and cartoon character toothbrushes through the ages. The museum is a short walk from the Inner Harbor and is located at the corner of Greene and Lombard Streets. They are located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Hours of the museum are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 - 4:00 pm, and Sundays from 1 - 4:00 pm. Admission to the museum is $7.00 for adults, $5 for seniors, college students, and UMB employees, $3.00 for children ages 3 - 18, and free for members and children under two. Discounted group tour rates are available and tours can be scheduled in advance.

Other exhibits at the museum include the first earned dental diploma from 1841, toothbrushes ranging from the 1800s to the present, dentifrice containers, dental furniture, extraction instruments dating from the 17th century, and the oldest known American dental cabinet, a 15th-century stained-glass image of St. Apollonia, patron saint of dentistry, including the largest holding of dental extraction keys in the United States, and the world's largest collection of dental advertising poster art.

The McCauley Library of the History of Dentistry is located at the museum. The library is home to rare dental publications, photographs, and archival documents. Admission to the library is by appointment only. The materials in the library are great resources for anyone doing extensie research on the history or dentistry and oral health. Materials include significant early dental education texts, early editions of Pierre Fauchard's two-volume work on dentistry written in 1728, early dental journals, reference resources and dental histories, including a complete set of Dental Cosmos, the first series of The American Journal of Dental Science, and a first edition of John Hunter's History of the Human Teeth.

Ranging from whimsical to educational and everything in between, the Museum Shop offers visitors a chance to take home a unique dental souvenir from the museum. If you know anyone interested in dentistry, or you are looking to get in good with your own teeth doctor, consider picking up a few things from the shop. You can also shop online, should you get home and realize you forgot an item. The Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore is a great place to visit.