This dental kit contains one chisel, one knife, wire silk thread, and four needles. At the time of the Civil War, many people did not take good care of their teeth. Most people were missing some of their teeth. To serve in the army in both the North and the South, soldiers had to have a certain number of teeth. Union soldiers had to have six upper and lower teeth, and Confederates had to have four. The Union Army did not have dentists, or even toothbrushes, for their soldiers. The Confederacy did give their soldiers dental care.