A pair of late 18th
century French dental forceps for molar extractions.
The unusual feature is the screw mechanism fixed to
the inside of the handles which prevents the forceps
closing beyond a given point and avoids fracturing the
tooth. Similar forceps can be seen in the Museum of
Swedish Dental Society in Stockholm (Elizabeth
Bennion's "Antiques Dental Instruments" p51) and in
the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of
Edinburgh.
