The biggest Museum of Stomatology in the world opens in Xi'an

The International Museum of Stomatology, located in the Stomatological Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, opened to the public on Nov 5.

The most major museum of stomatology in the world in terms of its scale, large quantity of collections, its high quality and complete categories was founded by professor Zhao Yimin, the museum director and former president of the Stomatological Hospital.

The Museum of Stomatology has experienced a gradual development since its inception, including three periods of expansion and renewal. It started construction in 2005, was initially completed in 2007 and opened to members of the military medical university. In 2010, the museum was expanded and opened to the public. In 2013, it was approved by the State Administration of Cultural Relics to be included in the national museum management system. In 2015, it was named a Shaanxi Provincial Youth Education Base.

Compared to the old museum, the new international stomatological museum has been built with the purpose of "building a museum for the world, erecting a monument for China, providing an oral history and enlightening the public". It is based on the idea of building a museum around cultural relics, taking history as the context, culture as the core and science and technology as the support. It realizes the functions of historical inheritance, cultural relic collection, science education and historical data research.

Leading organs at all levels gave strong support during the construction of the museum, and many friends from home and abroad provided enthusiastic help and sponsorship. Dozens of international experts, including Branemark, the father of dental implants in the world, and US stomatologist Babush, all donated a large number of collections to the museum.

In the 2,100 square meter modern exhibition hall, more than 7,800 stomatology-related cultural relics from 32 countries and regions are arranged in 18 themed exhibition areas within two pavilions. The cultural relics in the collection cover a long time span, wide distribution area and complete compendium. From ancient animal dental fossils from 120 million years ago to the world's latest oral medicine achievements, the cultural relics are highly varied and have a strong academic, historical and ornamental value. They have also become a valuable learning resource and classroom aid for stomatology workers.

The museum has also held 14 special lectures - such as "magic teeth", to show the influence of the oral system on human health, an introduction to the development of the world's and China's stomatological history, and the important contributions of medical geniuses - to guide visitors to become more aware that a "healthy life starts with the teeth", and to improve their oral healthcare.

The museum will be open to the public free of charge.