This dazzling multimedia presentation reveals the amazing power of a smile, from an historical look at how people have sought to enhance their smiles since ancient times to the impact that modern cosmetic dentistry now has on creating healthy smiles that give people confidence and change lives.

For most of history, dentistry was focused on repair-oriented techniques until the factors causing tooth decay were clearly understood. Until the mid-20th century, Americans often suffered diseases of the gums and teeth, frequently losing their teeth as a result. Brushing teeth “up and down, the way they grow” and hoping for the best was the extent of routine home care.

Dental education, long focused on the mechanical aspects of treatment and repair, today has accelerated its efforts into new areas – prevention, research, treatment of the whole patient, and improved techniques. Dental schools throughout the United States and Canada are leading the way in providing innovative, comprehensive professional education.

G. V. Black is known as the “Father of American Dentistry,” but the impact of his work was worldwide, and his influence continues to this day. Follow his journey from Illinois farm boy to becoming a brilliant scientist, scholar, teacher, and dean of the Northwestern University Dental School.

An innovative and interactive three-part exhibition highlighting saliva, forensics, and bioengineering that explores how emerging science and research will affect dentistry and overall well-being in the not-so-distant future. Learn what makes your mouth water, how to analyze skull structures, and the history and future of tooth replacement.

Take a relaxing moment to explore our collection of children’s books related to oral health and dentistry, and discover the smile-making joy of reading.

Witness amazing teeth feats, marvel at unique cultural teeth traditions, and trace what humans have done to their teeth throughout history. Through traditions, folklore, and popular culture, learn how important smiles are for recognizing people and how much impact teeth have had throughout history.

MouthPower® helps young people discover the power of a healthy smile and the importance of oral health in a healthy life. Children join Mouthie® in learning how to brush and floss the right way, why to say no to tobacco, how to make healthy food choices, and what kinds of careers are possible in the world of dentistry.

View a variety of artificial teeth, dental instruments, and oral hygiene aids from Edo period (1603-1868) Japan that highlight the advanced technical dental work of the hahdykesan, or tooth carpenters, who practiced extraction and denture-making.

Focused on one of the most famous sets of teeth in history, explore how tooth and gum loss shape your face, and how Dr. John Greenwood’s not-so-wooden dentures worn by the first president of the United States were integral in the advancement of dental prosthetics, helping to shift dentistry’s use of human and animal teeth to more sustainable, durable, and ethical alternatives.

Since the 1970s, the number of minority graduates from dental school has increasd nearly 500% and the percentage of female in dental school has risn from 1% to almost 50%. Planned as an ever-adapting and growing digital experience, Changing Faces aims to continually preserve and celebrate the stories of trailblazers across the dental profession who have and are progressing the diversity of dentistry.