About

The Leeds Dispensary, 1904

In May 1904, a small dental department opened at the Leeds Public Dispensary, thanks to the vision of local dentists, like George Brunton, and support from the British Dental Association’s (BDA) Leeds branch. The BDA even donated funds to buy the very first equipment, laying the foundations for what would become one of the UK’s leading centres of dental education and care.

The New Dental School Building, Blundell Street 1928

As word spread and more patients and students came through the doors, the need for more space quickly became clear. In 1920 the service moved into the Leeds General Infirmary, and just a few years later, a brand-new Dental Hospital was built on Blundell Street. Opened in 1928, this modern facility cost £45,000 (a huge sum at the time!) raised through a partnership between the Dental Board of the United Kingdom, the University of Leeds, and the hospital itself.

By the late 1940s, dentistry in Britain was changing fast with the creation of the NHS. The Leeds Dental Hospital became part of the United Leeds Hospitals in 1948, and the demand for treatment soared. To keep up, the building was extended in the 1953.

The Worsley Building, 1979

However, it was the 1970s that really transformed the school and hospital, with the move into the Worsley Building on Clarendon Way in 1978. The new institute was officially opened by HRH the Duke of Kent in March 1979, and it’s still here today! Over the years, the institute hasn’t just trained dentists, it’s also become a centre of excellence for dental nurses and technicians with a reputation for world-class teaching.

Alongside its ongoing dental work, the school has also carefully preserved a fascinating collection of historical instruments, teaching aids, and memorabilia that tell the story of how dentistry and dental education have changed over the last century.

Now, for the first time, you can explore some of those items yourself! Through the Dental History museum’s digital collection, you can explore everything from sixteenth-century forceps to twentieth-century dental drills. While some treasures remain on display in the Worsley Building, this digital archive opens up access to the collection for anyone curious about the history of dentistry in Leeds (and beyond).