Dental forceps, 18th century, crow's bill

These forceps are known as ‘crow’s bill’ because of their shape and they are among the oldest instruments used for tooth pulling. The screw is used to adjust the pressure on the tooth. This modification was introduced by Joseph Leber (1729-1808) around 1770. This type of forceps would have been used to remove the roots of teeth that had rotted or been damaged. Damage may have been caused by a previous tooth pulling as a large amount of force was required and other teeth were often broken in the process.