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The influence of ‘Golden Age' authors of detective fiction, in particular, D. L. Sayers, on the public opinion of dentists and dentistry

British Dental Journal volume 237, pages 51–54 (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

With her wide readership and sympathetic and intelligent handling of dentists and dentistry in her detective novels and short stories, it is probable that Dorothy Leigh Sayers(1893-1957) influenced the public perception of dentists favourably, as being true professionals, particularly after the 1921 Act made it a fully closed specialty. Her encounter with a dental automaton seen when she was very young is acknowledged by her as a formative influence.

Key points

  • Looks at dentistry through the eyes of authors of detective fiction, particularly D. L. Sayers.

  • Records an aspect of the social history of dentistry.

  • Comments on professional advancement after the 1921 Dentists Act and the introduction of NHS dentistry.

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References

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  23. Bishop M. The dentist in works of fiction: Notes on the detective novels of Georges Simenon and Agatha Christie. Actes Société française d'histoire de l'art dentaire 2014: 19: 44.

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  25. Thynne M. Death in the Dentist's Chair. Salisbury: Dean Street Press, 2016.

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Acknowledgements

The advice and assistance of Helen Sumping, Brasenose College Archivist; Laura Stanifer, Archivist at the Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College; Helen Nield, British Dental Association Librarian; Holly Peel at the Wellcome Collection; and from David Higham Associates for Permissions, is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Dental Practitioner and Part-time Lecturer (Retired), Unit for the History of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King´s College London, Guy´s Hospital, Tooley Street, London, SE1 1UL, UK

    Malcolm Bishop

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  1. Malcolm Bishop
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Correspondence to Malcolm Bishop.

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Bishop, M. The influence of ‘Golden Age' authors of detective fiction, in particular, D. L. Sayers, on the public opinion of dentists and dentistry. Br Dent J 237, 51–54 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-024-7560-z

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