New patients entering Dr. Hatchuel’s clinic in Raanana are surprised to see a host of friendly, amusing figurines gazing at them from showcases and shelves all around the office - amiable faces that seem to say: “Relax, don’t worry. Smile! Dental treatments aren’t such a grim affair after all…”

Dr. Hatchuel, the collector of the figurines, recalls:

In 1981 I purchased my first dental office in Benoni, South Africa. The practice had existed for 40 years, and its equipment had not been updated since it was started.   I promptly reequipped the clinic with state-of-the art equipment, and moved some of the ancient devices into the waiting room, as museum pieces. Amongst the artifacts were small items that I placed in specially built cabinets, for patients to enjoy while waiting. During my travels for continuing education and vacations, I would seek out figurines related to dentistry, and so my collection grew. I purchased these figures everywhere – including Disney World. Noticing that many of them depicted “dentists” pulling out teeth, I started searching for figurines of people fixing teeth, to convey a more positive message…   I hope you enjoy looking at the collection, which I am proud to present on the web: