A dentist father-son duo opened a a museum exhibiting more than a thousand artifacts, including toothbrushes made of ivory, here today.
Dr Yogesh Chandarana and his son Dr Pranav Chandarana, who have put together the museum, said it was the first dental museum in the country.
Inside, there is a vast array of toothbrushes, manual, electric, straight, angled, curved, made from various materials including ivory and even bones, some of them dating back centuries.
Dr Chandaran said it took them five years to design and create the museum, spread over 1,200 sq feet in Haribhakti society on the Old Padra road in the city.
Apart from toothbrushes, the museum also has stamps, postcards and rare literature about the dentistry, currency featuring renowned dentists or paying tribute to the dentistry, postcards from the British India announcing the visit of the country's only female dentist to check up the women in 'purdah' (veil).
It also displays mythological stories on teeth from across the world on teeth.
"The purpose behind creating this museum was to create awareness about oral health," said Dr Chandarana.
"After opening a dental clinic in the city in 1975, I had started collecting dental stamps from various parts of country and abroad," he said. This hobby then led to collection of other dentistry-related artifacts during his visits to various countries.
"We have made this museum interactive and easy to understand so that patients can relax while waiting at the clinic," said Dr Pranav Chandarana.
