Waterloo Teeth

Human teeth were in great demand for dentures during the Victorian period. Teeth pulled from willing volunteers could not meet the demand. A grislier source were bodies from European battlefields. Such teeth were known as ‘Waterloo teeth’ for much of the 1800s.  This denture also has human teeth fixed into it. It was made for the lower jaw and is carved from hippopotamus ivory. Ivory was expensive and could only be afforded by the wealthy.