The history of dental art is sufficiently rich for important parts of it to be preserved and for a specific place to be dedicated to it.
In 1979, three Lyon dentists, François Brunner, François Dewars and François Emptoz, carried away with their passion for history, created the dental museum in Lyon at a time when dental practices were modernising fast: new equipment was being acquired to replace out-of-date facilities. Since then the museum has been located within the Lyon faculty of dentistry with constant support from successive deans.
The museum and its library are home to collections of objects dating back to the 18th century up to the current day, many old works and a range of documents.
A remarkable series of dentist chairs from the (19th century until now) shows the changes of the ergonomics of dental practices. Around twenty display cases show dental and surgical instruments, prostheses, dental x-ray equipment etc.
This museum recreates the atmosphere of a dental practice as the end of the 19th century, the time when modern dentistry actually started, with the technology of its time and the magic of electricity, the introduction of new materials such as rubber and aluminium and improvements in older techniques such as metalwork and ceramics.