title: The dental key: a dangerous and barbarous instrument.
abstract: The dental key or turnkey, which was probably in more general use for the extraction of teeth than any other single instrument prior to the 1900s, caused more accidents and injuries than all other extraction instruments combined. However, prior to the discovery of anesthesia, it was the quickest way to remove a posterior tooth, despite its detractors and misuse.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion and Policy, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, Dental School, University of Maryland, 666 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1586, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hyson
mesh_terms: D003762:Dental Instruments / Q000266:history; D005060:Europe; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000266:history* / Q000295:instrumentation; D014481:United States