Tooth key with two claws, 1850 (c)

One of 64 medical instruments originally contained in a mahogany instrument case, 1850 (c). Made by Evans and Co, Savigny and Co, Arnold and Sons and P Moore and Co.

A tooth (or dental) key is an instrument for extracting diseased teeth. The device would be inserted into a patient's mouth and then its claw would be tightened over a tooth. The key would then be rotated to loosen the offending tooth. This was a highly painful process that often resulted in the tooth breaking.