A Brief History Of Dentistry

Submitted by: Dr. Gianino

The history of dentistry can be traced back as far as the history of people on the earth, because since early primitive times men and women have been treating their teeth in whatever ways they knew how. But formal dentistry is often traced back to the early 1500s when a book was published in Germany to teach surgeons how to extract teeth, drill teeth, and install gold fillings.

Then two centuries later a French doctor, Pierre Fauchard, published the book called The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth (Le Chirurgien Dentiste). That was the first thorough book to address the practice of dentistry, so Dr. Fauchard is considered by most historians to be the father of modern dentistry. Soon dentistry became more or less established as a profession across Europe, and just a few years after the founding of the United States as a new nation, an English dentist named John Baker migrated to America to set up the first-ever dental practice in the USA. It is even believed that silversmith and militia member Paul Revere worked as a dentist in Boston, where he advertised his services and would fill people s cavities with the same kind of silver that he used to make his famous bowls and other household utensils.

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By the 1800s dental books were being written and published by dentists across the USA, and inventors came up with two important dental products porcelain teeth and the specially designed and engineered reclining dentist chair.

The American Journal of Dental Science was established as the first dental profession journal in the world; the first dental college in the world was founded in Baltimore, and Alabama became the first state in the union to set up a state board of dentistry to regulate the profession. By 1860 there was a professional association that still presides over dentistry in the USA, the American Dental Association, and six years later the first woman to become a licensed dentist in the USA Lucy Hobbs graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery and began plying her trade. Around the same time Harvard opened the first dental school affiliated with a major university and before 1870 it had graduated the first African-American man to earn a dental degree. With nearly 30 full-fledged dental schools going strong before the 1890s, dentistry got another boost when the toothpaste tube was invented, making it much easier to dispense toothpaste and making dry tooth powders more or less obsolete. Another first happened in 1890 when a woman named Ida Gray, who was a graduate of the University of Michigan s School of Dentistry, became the first African American female dentist. The same year an American dentist published a revolutionary new book called Micro-Organisms of the Human Mouth, which helped to explain the bacterial causes of tooth decay and gum disease. As a result of the book people began taking tooth brushing and dental flossing much more seriously, and those dental hygiene habits became more common and widespread. Perhaps just as significant was the invention of X-ray equipment for dental X-rays in the late 1890s.

In the 20th century Novocain painkiller was invented, the process of casting fillings and false teeth came into existence, and the first school dedicated to the study of oral hygiene was started. Graduates began to create organized programs to teach young children about dental hygiene. By the mid-1900s dental implants were in use and public water was fluorinated. Then in the last half of the century high-speed drills were introduced, as were electric toothbrushes, home tooth whiteners, and advanced resin and polymer tooth fillings. As the 21st century neared, the FDA approved lasers for dental surgery, and now we even have computerized digital X-ray machines as well as in-office computer guided robotic machines to make replacement teeth and crowns.

About the Author: Dr. Gianino has based his dental philosophy on patient respect and genuine relationships, taking the time to learn about the smile of your dreams – the smile you deserve. You can visit his website at

DrGianino.com

. He would love to hear from you.

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