A whiff of a problem

The BDA Museum invited delegates to its stand at the BDA conference in May to test their skills in identifying dental issues. And guess what, a dental nurse was the first to identify the problems. There were three challenges for delegates to try, one of which was the dental smell challenge. We asked delegates if they could identify the oral health and medical condition and if they could identify historic surgery/dental product smells. Most delegates correctly identified Ketosis but trench mouth proved tricky. Feedback was that it wasn't pungent enough although a few delegates did get this smell – and our star dental nurse identified all seven smells! We did have a more pungent one but thought we might stink out the conference venue! Oil of cloves was probably the easiest to identify and most people didn't get urine. Dare I say, the older generation tended to get creosote and rubber. Below, a list of the dental conditions and products – and what they smell like.