The History of Dentistry – Cincinnati Dental Information
Dentistry is one of the oldest professions in human history. As early as 7,000 BCE, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of dental work. A Neolithic graveyard in Pakistan contains human remains with teeth showing holes from dental drills.
Modern dentistry is a much more recent development. Although most of this healthcare discipline has grown in the last two centuries, it has a dynamic and fascinating past.
What did Ancient Dentistry Look Like?
There’s much recorded information and archaeological evidence of several ancient civilizations practicing dentistry and oral surgery. The earliest is the teeth we mentioned, found in Pakistan.
Fast-forward to 2,000 BCE China, when people hammered bamboo pegs into the sites of tooth extractions. About 500 years later, in Egypt, we find evidence of a denture/dental bridge hybrid consisting of loose “donor” (i.e., enslaved person) teeth strung together with gold binding. At the same time, the Etruscans in Italy were carving fake teeth from ivory and wiring them next to natural teeth.
By 400 BCE, the Romans were successfully performing root canals. We know this because of some buried remains in which a bronze wire was inserted into the tooth’s nerve.
In 600 CE, in South America, the Mayans used carved shells to replace empty sockets at the site of tooth extractions. They were also known for intricate dental work that included permanently installing gems into teeth.
Then there’s the 14th-century Byzantine warrior who had his jaw surgically reconstructed via drilled holes and gold wire. As you’ve probably noticed, some of these dental procedures and treatments don’t look much different from the ones we perform today.
The Advent of Modern Dentistry
The “father of modern dentistry” was the French surgeon Pierre Fauchard. He significantly improved dental instruments and introduced dental fillings. Before his death in 1761, he was the first to declare that sugar and certain acidic products caused tooth decay.
In the 1800s, dentistry was still not considered a medical profession. Dental procedures in America were usually performed by barbers, who limited their work to extracting teeth with serious tooth decay. For these extractions, barbers use crude devices that were developed in the 14th century. They were no more than basic pliers, perhaps cruel by today’s standards.
People have practiced regular dental care, such as brushing their teeth, for millennia. However, the modern bristle toothbrush wasn’t developed until 1780, and the first dental school did not appear for nearly another half-century.
The First Dental School
The first American dental school, founded by Dr. John M. Harris in Bainbridge, Ohio, opened in 1828. The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was the second, opening in 1840. The third was the Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery, established in 1852.
These colleges contributed to the growth of dentistry as a medical profession, and they attracted many people to dental practice. Since then, instructors have established many other dental colleges across the nation. The burgeoning of dental schools helped pave the way for rapid and almost constant development in new dental technologies. These include implant crowns, tooth veneers, dental bridges, teeth whitening, GentleWave root canals, and countless other developments.
The Emergence of Dental Hygienists
In 1913, the Fones Clinic for Dental Hygienists first opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The clinic’s first graduating class was comprised of 27 women, who all went to work in the local school district to clean students’ teeth. The district soon noticed a sharp reduction in cavities among the children. In turn, the founder of the clinic school, Dr. Alfred Fones, made the term “dental hygienist” a permanent fixture in the dentistry field.
Contemporary Family Dentistry for Cincinnati Residents
When we consider how far modern dental procedures and technological innovations have come, we can appreciate even more how easy a trip to the dentist can be. Not much more than a century ago, you’d be given a swig of whiskey and told to hang on during your tooth extraction. Today, you can sit comfortably in a padded chair and feel nearly nothing. As far as dental care goes, there’s never been a better time to be alive.
If you live in the Cincinnati area, you can benefit from the latest dental advancements firsthand. At Beckham Square Family Dental, we use the most advanced techniques and equipment to provide Cincinnati families with routine dental care and specialized procedures that fit individual needs. For your next office visit, complete the online contact form or call our office at 513.489.7800 today.