Ivory and metal tooth extractor, also known as a tooth key. The dentist or surgeon would hook the curved end around the bad tooth, and twist and pull to remove. This early dental tool was used for tooth extractions throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, prior to the introduction of safe local anesthetic drugs like Novocain. A patient might have been given chloroform or ether to knock them completely unconscious, but only if it was available. This tool allowed for a quick, though not painless, procedure.
