Guy's Hospital Dental School

Dentistry at Guy's: the beginning

Joseph Fox

Guy's Hospital opened its doors to patients in 1726 and shared clinical and teaching facilities with St Thomas's Hospital, formalised between 1768 and 1825 in the 'School of the United Hospitals'.

What were probably the first systematic dental lectures anywhere in the world were delivered by Joseph Fox in 1799. Fox (1775-1816), one of the most highly regarded dentists of his time, was the author of two key textbooks, including The natural history of the human teeth (1803), a seminal work that proved particularly influential in training the next generation of dentists.

Perhaps Fox's most important contribution, however, was in the field of conservation, developing a 'fusible metal' to pour into the tooth cavity. Consisting of bismuth, lead and tin, the main problem with the design lay in its relatively high melting point - equivalent to the boiling point of water - thus making the procedure a particularly painful experience.