Musee d’Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard
This is an unusual museum dedicated to the history and techniques of dentistry through the ages that was founded in Paris to display old instruments and documentation and is maintained by the Musee de l’Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris.
About Musee d’Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard in Paris
Back in the late 1880s a dental school in Paris was set up, and at the same time the Musee d’Art Dentaire was established to display old tools and techniques to its students and by the end of the century thee were several hundred items on display for reference.
This unique museum in Paris continued to grow, and then in 1937 it took the name of Musee d’Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard, which was in recognition and to honour the founding father of dentistry who practiced in the latter part of the 1600s right through to when he died in the 1760s.
The collection and the heritage of dentistry meant the museum expanded over the years and held, not just unusual or historical instruments, but some very rare items and documents including an original book published by Pierre Fauchard back in 1728, along with furniture, paintings, etchings, the Pierre Fauchard Academy International Hall of Fame of Dentistry, etc.
However, the Musee d’Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard museum closed its doors in 2001 after a decision of the Dental School in Paris, and this was when they passed everything over to a different establishment called the Musee de l’Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, and the magnificent collections have been maintained by them since 2003.
Visiting Musee d’Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard
Unfortunately, this unique museum is only open by prior appointment, and there are not as many items on display as the original museum, however, for anyone with an interest in the history of dentistry from both France and abroad, then the Musee d’Art Dentaire Pierre Fauchard is definitely worth seeing.
And located in the 16th Arrondissement, it is also close to some other unusual museums in Paris including the Musee d’Ennery and the Musee de la Contrafacon counterfeit museum, which can all be reached by the Porte Dauphine Metro stop via line 2, or the Avenue Foch train station via line C of the RER.
