Our History

White’s dental chair head rest is patented, and S.S. White admires it instantly. In his monthly dental magazine, The Dental Cosmos, he writes: “Recognizing many valuable features in the Chair of Dr. O.C. White, the result of his careful and intelligent study and practical experience, aided by the criticisms of operators, we purchased his Patents and Patterns, including all modifications and improvements to date. All these which seem valuable, either as to symmetry of form or utility, have been incorporated so far as they were available in the construction of this [S.S. White Dental] chair.” The chair and headrest goes into production and sells well.

O.C. White patents his own dentist’s chair and presents it at the American Dental Convention. It is pronounced “an improvement on the old style of chairs.”

At the Vienna Exhibition, Samuel S. White wins awards for his false teeth and dental equipment, including his chair with Otis White’s headrest.

Otis Converse White Jr. is born.

At the 1876 World’s Fair in Philadelphia, along with his other dentistry inventions, S.S. White presents O.C. White’s headrest. It receives a medal and diploma for “Uniformity of motion, simplicity of construction and complete adaptability to the purposes intended.” Beyond the headrest and chair, O.C. White’s inventions are now being used as: bench stands for wood carvers, die makers, marble cutters, and engravers. Photographers use his articulated supports to help subjects stand still for their portraits.

Samuel S. White presents his artificial teeth and other dentistry equipment at the 1878 Paris Exposition. A reviewer writes of the exhibit, “An imposing show of “teeth” is made by the well-known Samuel S. White, who also exhibits a glistening assortment of dental instruments, which any imaginative person might easily fancy to be medieval instruments of torture. They, like many other American exhibits, far excel in shapely fitness, quality and finish, all the world. America may well be proud of her attainments in the scientific specialty of dentistry.”

In March of that year, O.C. White uses his dentist office to organize the Hopkinton Rifle Club. He goes on to win several competitions that year.

Samuel S. White dies in Paris, while trying to recover from an illness. He is worth over $1,500,000. His brother takes over the Philadelphia business.