The British Dental Association Museum began in 1919 when Lilian Lindsay, the first female to qualify as a dentist in the UK, donated several old dental instruments to the BDA.
She had been storing them in a box under her bed.
Today the collections would no longer fit under a bed as they extend to about 30,000 items.
The collection includes:
- dental instruments and equipment
- furniture
- photographs
- archives
- fine and decorative art.
The Museum was developed primarily for the use and education of BDA members.
However, in 1967, when the BDA moved to its present offices in London, the Museum opened its doors to the general public.
In Autumn 2005, the Museum was redesigned and aimed to be more accessible to the general public, as well as for dentists.
