A Condensed History Of Dentistry
Do you ever wonder what people used to do when they had an achy tooth or crooked teeth? Maybe you wonder how toothbrushes and toothpaste was invented? There is a lot more to dentistry than meets the eye. History proves that men and women all around the world worked hard to give us the quality care for our teeth that we have today.
Ancient World
The earliest known source that we have involving dentistry dates back to 5,000 BC. This source comes from ancient Sumeria and it gives a rather graphic depiction of tooth decay.
As far back as 3500-3000 BC, Egyptians used the frayed end of a twig as an early “toothbrush” to clean their teeth. Ancient Chinese people developed “chewing sticks” to keep their breath fresh and teeth clean.
In 2600 BC, Hesy-Re dies. Records suggest that this person was the ancient world’s version of a dentist.
A man by the name of Celsus, in 100 BC, penned his findings and thoughts on dental care. He focused on remedies that were available at that time.
Middle Ages
Fast-forwarding to 1210, French barbers organized what we now know as the “Guild of Barbers”. But in 1400, laws were set into place to restrict ordinary barbers from performing certain dental procedures.
In 1530, German author Artzney Buchlein came out with his famous book on dentistry titled “Little Medicinal Book For All Kinds Of Diseases And Infirmities Of The Teeth”.
18th Century
Moving along to the 18th century, another key figure in dentistry named John Baker immigrated to America from England in 1760. Upon his arrival, he began his own dental care business.
John Greenwood, the son of one of America’s first professional dentists, invented an early dental foot engine. He was also the man who designed and made George Washington’s famous wooden dentures.
19th and 20th Centuries
The American Journal of Dental Science is published in 1839.
In 1840, the American Society of Dental Surgeons is organized, but the society closed down in 1856.
Lucy Hobbs received her degree in dentistry from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery. What’s so special about her? She was the first woman to do so.
In the 1890s Colgate began to produce toothpaste in the tubes that we use today, after centuries of people using powdered soap to clean their teeth.
Nearly one hundred years later, the first fluoride toothpastes were found on store shelves in 1950. In 1997, the FDA accepted new treatments for tooth decay.
What’s Next?
We have certainly come a long way from hiring barbers to care for our teeth, but we still have a long way to go. Dentists, surgeons, and doctors are still working on new treatments and procedures that will better our oral health.
Learning about the history of dental care will help today’s kids become tomorrow’s leaders of innovation for dental care. For more information on how modern dental care was established, ask our doctors at PDOVA for some resources and stories. Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics of Virginia hopes that our patients continue to strive for dental excellence, and commit to becoming a cavity free generation!