Dental sculpture

Images of snakes entwined around a staff have been common symbols in medicine since Greek times. Outside the Edinburgh Dental Institute in Lauriston Place is this scuplture which was commissioned to mark the refurbishment of the old Edinburgh Dental Hospital in 1953 and then moved in 1997 to its present location.

The nearby plaque states
The snakes represents the staff of Hippocrates and the Coat of Arms is
that of the Dental School of the University of Edinburgh.
Combined, they represent the coming together of the Hospital and School
in order to provide dental services to our patients, and the facilities
for teaching and training of dentists