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Waterloo Teeth

This set of upper and lower dentures includes what are possibly ‘Waterloo teeth’, that is, teeth taken from the mouths of soldiers who died on the field at Waterloo.

Home dental care left a lot to be desired in the 19th century and there was always a demand for false teeth by those able to afford them. As you can see by the lower dentures, sets made of bone or antler were very basic and wore out quickly due to a lack of enamel, the tooth’s hard-wearing natural coating. Other materials were starting to be used such as porcelain but they were not particularly good.

Human teeth were extremely expensive and in short supply, usually coming from either mortuaries, the gallows or even grave robbers. Battlefields had always been sources of teeth but with over 50,000 dead at Waterloo, the international market was flooded almost overnight – hence the term Waterloo teeth.