A closer look

Before modern dentistry actually cared about your comfort, extracting a rotten tooth involved a medieval nightmare called the dental key. Resembling a heavy iron door key, this brutal instrument was hooked over the offending tooth while the 'dentist' violently twisted it like a wrench. It relied purely on brute torque, frequently snapping the tooth at the roots, tearing the gums to shreds, or casually fracturing the patient's entire jawbone in the process.