ADAQ Museum of Dentistry
ADAQ holds one of the largest collections about dentistry in Queensland, tracking the evolution of the art of dentistry: a dental 'cabinet of curiosities' offering a glimpse of what it was like to practice, and receive dental treatment. This reflection is important to better understand oral health issues today and the dynamics of this field, at both ends of the drill.
ADAQ's Museum of Dentistry (MoD) aims to be an educational tool for dental professionals and the public on the evolution of dentistry and oral health. The need ‘to preserve the dental history of Queensland for posterity’ is also enshrined in the ADAQ’s Constitution (2.1.9) and remains a strategic objective for ADAQ.
Do you have an item to donate or you'd like to help out? Or perhaps you have a dental story to tell? Get involved!
Explore our collection
The museum collection includes: dentures and models, terrifying extraction keys and other hand tools, ornate foot-powered drills in perfect working order, an 1870s Swan-armed recliner chair, a 1920s Ritter A x-ray machine, travelling cabinets packed with various equipment and preparations for dental treatment, and much more.
The Association's archives tell the history of dental practice, policy and education across Queensland through council minutes, publications, lecture notes and textbooks, oral health leaflets and information kits for patients.
A small exhibition is now open for viewing at the MoD display area, Christensen House, 24 Hamilton Place, Bowen Hills - by appointment only in 2021. View the collection on our eHive online catalogue platform, or explore further below to learn more.