Original dental chair from early 21st century donated to Sydney Faculty of Dentistry museum

14 October 2015

The University of Sydney Alumni Dental Museum in Westmead has recently acquired a Ritter dental chair and tower unit c.1915–1919, donated by Dr. Jerry Schwartz.
A testimony to the Schwartz family’s passion for dentistry and education, the Ritter chair was purchased at auction by Dr Jerry Schwartz, restored by Jason Hard and donated to the University of Sydney in preparation for Westmead Dental Museum’s new permanent display, due to open later this year.

Sydney Dental School
Ritter Dental Chair and Tower Unit (Photo credit: University of Sydney)

Associate Professor Peter Barnard, who inaugurated the Dental Museum in 2013, has been working with daughter Pauline to systematically identify and document objects from the dental collection, to curate a new permanent display. The new display will see 18 showcases filled with more than 2,000 dental objects from the university’s collection, which spans almost 200 years.
Peter Barnard said, “It’s an exciting acquisition. I, and other dentists at Westmead, are amazed at the ultimate perfection of this chair. Highest praise goes to Jason Hard for his extreme and intricate work in their restoration. Thank you Jerry for your donation of these items to our dental museum.”
Clare Bayliss, General Manager of the Sydney Faculty of Dentistry said, “The chair is a fantastic addition to our expanding dental museum at the Westmead Centre for Oral Health. I know that our Westmead team are very happy to have the museum displayed here—I have certainly seen many patients and visitors looking at the artifacts—and the chair is a real ‘jewel in the crown’ for this project, which I know, will attract much interest.”
About the Ritter Dental Chair
Produced by Ritter Dental MFG. Co. in 1915–1919, the dental chair provides a valuable and nostalgic insight into the field of dentistry and dental appliances in the early 21st century. The integrated system developed by Ritter Dental in Germany paved the way for modern dental treatment systems globally.
The Ritter dental equipment catalogue circulated in 1919 attributes the success of a clinic’s overall operation, its reputation, the dentist’s skill, and the capacity to charge higher fees, to the quality of the dental equipment (Ritter equipment) purchased by the dentist.

Sydney Dental School’s Doctor of Dental Medicine

The Sydney Dental School’s Doctor of Dental Medicine is a graduate-entry program that has been purposefully designed to adhere to the well-rounded course structure of the North American postgraduate model, but has also maintained the sophisticated clinical training for which the University of Sydney has come to be renowned, giving students an applicable knowledge of dental health from the community to the laboratory.
Program: Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD)
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
Next available semester intake: February 2017
Duration: 4 years

Apply to the 2017 intake of the Sydney DMD!

*

Do you have any questions regarding Sydney Dental School? Contact OzTREKK’s Australian Dental Schools Admissions Officer Adam Smith at adam@oztrekk.com or call toll free in Canada at 1-866-698-7355.

News