Description

Refrigerator magnet featuring vintage fluoride science art.

Photo is of a fluoride crystal, from a 1988 poster promoting the Smithsonian’s exhibit “Dental Science for Dental Health.” This exhibit commemorated the 40th anniversary of the National Institute of Dental Research.

Held at at the National Museum of American History, during the 1988 World Dental Congress in Washington, D.C., the exhibit highlighted accomplishments in scientific research by the National Institute for Dental Health, an institute of the National Institutes of Health. The Smithsonian’s summary described the exhibit by saying, “Topics include the story of fluoride and fluoridation, gum disease, and new materials in dentistry. The main attraction is ‘Mighty Mouth,’ a full mechanical mouth, which is used to test new materials.”