The molds or dies are made of steel. Gold, Silver, or other metal crowns are formed on these. The closest mold is chosen for the crown to form. These have not been cleaned nor has the box. That will be left up to the buyer. All that is pictured is included in this lot.
The History of SS White Burs, Inc.
...started by young man of 22, it became an industry leader.
The Beginning
The namesake of the company, Samuel Stockton White, was born June 19, 1822 in Hulmeville, Pennsylvania. On his sixteenth birthday, he became an apprentice for his uncle, Samuel Wesley Stockton, a pioneer tooth manufacturer in Philadelphia. Six years later at twenty-two, Samuel Stockton White entered into his own business. The company we know as S. S. White Burs began at a house at 116 North Seventh Street in Philadelphia. The attic became the factory where he carved molds for teeth by hand from blocks of metal. The lower floor was turned into an office where Samuel practiced dentistry and a showroom to display the products being made in his attic factory. Business flourished and relocated several times to larger facilities in the Philadelphia area. Sales offices were opened in New York, Boston and Chicago. In addition, the company established a system of selling to dealers to better serve the dentist.
The Leader In Dentistry and Innovator In Rotary Cutting Instruments...
In 1868, the dental profession was introduced to steel instruments and dental burs that bore the trademark of S. S. White. The work force now numbered over 200 persons and the name S.S. White was known all over the world. Dr. White purchased land at the southeast corner of Chestnut and Twelfth Streets in Philadelphia and erected a five story building. The structure was considered for many years to be one of Philadelphia's outstanding business properties. It was to be the headquarters for the company for the next 50 years.
In 1878, SS White announced the availability of stoned burs. The cutting blades were stoned by hand for increased sharpness and improved cutting rate. These burs were further improved in 1882 when honing techniques were introduced. These burs were less expensive than stoned burs and offered greater cutting efficiency. Revelation Burs were introduced in 1891 after thirteen years of research and experimentation. They were the FIRST burs to be manufactured entirely by machinery, and their creation was responsible for completely revolutionizing bur manufacturing. Samuel's active communications with the industry lead to the introduction of the first all metal dental chair, the first flexible shaft engine, many new forms of lathe heads and tools and other inventions.
The Passing Of Samuel Stockton White
In November, 1879 Samuel suffered ''...a slight attack of congestion of the brain'' and his doctors ordered him to Europe for a rest. A second attack occurred just before Christmas from which he did not recover. Doctor Samuel Stockton White passed away on December 30, 1879 in Paris, France at the age of fifty seven. Guerini wrote in the History of Dentistry ''...he undoubtedly stands forth as one of the noblest and grandest figures in the history of dentistry, and his name will ever be recorded with honor and veneration by dentists of all ages.'' Dr. White left the management of the business to his brother James, his eldest son J. Clarence and his personal clerk, Henry Lewis.
Growth Continues
S.S. White and Johnston Brothers merged eighteen months after Samuel's passing. Johnston Brothers was an established manufacturer of dental chairs, engines, instruments, gold foil, etc.. In 1881 the companies incorporated under the name S. S. White Dental Manufacturing Co.. Expansion continued and a new factory was acquired in Frankford, Philadelphia. Dentistry evolved and improved continuously over the years with the SS White Dental Mfg. Co. leading every step of the way.
In 1937 much of the manufacturing was moved to the Staten Island facility, which had expanded greatly. The Frankford Plant continued to manufacture instruments, abrasives and related products. 1947, The FIRST Carbide Bur . . .A technological breakthrough!! S.S. White introduced the first carbide bur to the dental profession, an achievement which was to affect the practice of modern dentistry. S.S. White engineers devised a way to weld a tungsten carbide pellet to a tool steel shank. Diamond wheels are used to cut blades or flutes into the carbide head. The entire instrument is then plated to prevent corrosion.
The Pennwalt Years
In 1965 Pennwalt Corporation acquired the S.S. White Dental Mfg. Co. As part of the agreement, the name of S. S. White would be retained and the principles under which it operated would remain the same. The Company became known as S. S. White Dental Products, International Division of the Pennwalt Corporation. During the Pennwalt years the Company continued to move forward with new and better products. The Company introduced the eleven hundred series of burs, Amalgam Preparation burs, Black Diamonds and Finishing Burs.
Starting A New Chapter
In 1986 Pennwalt Corporation altered their business strategy and as a result offered the dental products division for sale. The four manufacturing areas of the dental division were purchased by different companies. The carbide bur and diamond product lines retained the rights to the S.S. White brand name and trademark. Mr. James L. Gallop, an Illinois entrepreneur and owner of B.F. Wehmer Company purchased the carbide and diamond businesses along with the world wide rights to use of the brand name with the exception of Brazil, England and France.
