Smile Stealers: The Fine and Foul Art of Dentistry

by Richard Barnett

An incisive and startling international review of the evolution of dentistry from the Bronze Age to the present day, presented in a gorgeous package This achingly fascinating book follows the evolution of dentistry throughout the world from the Bronze Age to the present day, featuring captivating, grim illustrations of the tools and techniques of dentistry through the ages. It charts the changing social attitudes toward the purpose and practice of dentistry from the crude and painful endeavors of early civilizations to the fluoridated water, cosmetic surgery, and heightened expectations of today. Organized chronologically, The Smile Stealers interleaves beautiful and gruesome 3D objects, technical illustrations, and paintings from the Wellcome Collection’s unique medical archive of material from Europe, America, and the Far East with seven authoritative and eloquent themed articles from medical historian Richard Barnett. Including previously unseen illustrations, this comprehensive review of the development of the trade and discipline of dentistry covers topics as diverse as the very first dentures, the smile revolution in eighteenth-century portraiture, and the role of dentistry in forensic science. The Smile Stealers is guaranteed to appeal to those who see the beauty in medicine and biology as it probes the growth of dentistry. 350+ illustrations in color and black-and-white

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Dentistry, Medicine, Medical, Art

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2017

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The images are fascinating (and horrible), but I would have liked more in-depth text.

[Stacey Lattin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested my library to hold a copy of this for me and was pleasantly surprised to find it full of images when I flicked through. I just thought it was a book about the history of dentistry. I was halfway through the book when I realised the word "art" in the subtitle wasn't metaphorical lol

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read!

Lush with historic images and diagrams, a beautifully written history of the brutal art of dentistry. I bought Barnett's book because I needed it for my research, I'm keeping it because it is going to make a fantastic addition to my permanent bookshelf, both as scholarly material and just an interesting text to revisit.

I'll just need to remember to keep it on a high enough shelf that the younger members of my family don't stumble across it by accident. I'd hate to deal with the fallout of my 6 year old cousin finding some of those pictures during Thanksgiving dinner!

[aryau · Rating 3 out of 5]

"𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗘, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 ... 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗔𝗕𝗬𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗦"

this was quite easy to get through as most of it consisted of pictures, which were very fascinating. the writing was alright but some parts felt irrelevant to eachother and even to dentistry, but thats not really a complaint of mine as this book is more of a historical book rather than a book about dentistry itself.
the information i got out of this book was sufficient, the origins of dentistry and how it went from a circus show to one of the most respected professions is unbelievable.
i really liked how this book wasnt limited, and i reallyyy liked the chronological order of things and how everything developed. ntm the pictures at each new chapter of the dental chairs and how they improved over time. that detail was very nice.
from medieval europe, french dentistes, charlatans, politics, war, forensic odontology, to modern beautification and capitalism, this book touched up on a lot of the interesting parts of dental history which was perfect for those who love history and want to learn about this topic.

[Olavia Kite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful layout, amazing images. The first chapters are powerful and thorough, but all that force and meticulousness wane towards the end, which is a pity because I was left in need of more details about modern dentistry. It's as if only the excruciatingly painful aspects of history were worth discussing.

[Stephanie Dargusch Borders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had my eye on this series—they looked like the perfect addition to my coffee table stacks. I ultimately decided to try the library first to make sure the covers and blurbs lived up to my expectations—this title was the only one my library had so I went for it.

I loved the historical atecdotes, the art—just gorgeously put together.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a coffee table book than a solid read. It has a lot of interesting photos and drawings depicting the tools of dentistry. Details the horrid dental ailments and practices throughout history. Interesting and educational.

[Sel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book for its gorgeous depictions and little tidbits of information. The layout, wording and overall experience was wonderful, though I did wish for more text and information to accompany the pictures. It is indeed more of a light read / coffee table book.

[Hologram Dystopia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! Lots of interesting facts and stories.

[Juniper "burntends on storygraph" · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating photos and lots of neat dental trivia. My only gripe was the text inlay. I had a difficult time reading it but don't let that deter you!

[ツツ]

beautiful book, but I'm (currently) not very interested

[☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

aesthetically pleasing & informational time travel experience

i feel like it could've been stronger scientifically but as a history book, it's good

[Thao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, fun, easy read and makes a wonderful coffee-table book.