Blog Post

The Evolution of Dentists and Dentistry Through the Ages

Salgra Dental Group

The consequences of dental disease have plagued humanity throughout history. Our ancestors relied on the tools and treatments available to them and applied available treatment methods based on their understanding. While our forefathers may not have understood the cause of their dental pain, they did find ways to alleviate their discomfort, fight infection, and restore the function of their teeth.

While many of the early beliefs about oral health and some of the treatment methods that transpired may seem barbaric by today's standards, it's interesting to take a look back through time to see how dentistry has evolved through the ages.

Early Beliefs Explaining the Cause of Tooth Decay

While evidence suggests that some cultures blamed pain and disease on evil spirits, throughout much of our recorded history, people commonly believed that tooth decay was caused by worms burrowing holes in teeth, the hypothesis originating from the observations of the way worms burrowed holes in wood. The theory of tooth worms dates back as far as 5000 BC.

References to the idea of worms causing tooth decay are peppered throughout the writings of ancient Greek philosophers, and within the Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Egyptian cultures. Various remedies were devised to remove the "worms" with herbs, charms, and amulets. Tools of stone and metal were used to pry or pull offending teeth and compounds were devised to fill damaged areas.

The theory of tooth worms thrived for centuries until the 1700s when French surgeon Pierre Fauchard published The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise of Teeth. Fauchard, considered the father of modern dentistry, correctly identified sugar as the cause of tooth decay and defined a comprehensive system of dental care.

The Dental Practices of Ancient Civilizations

What we understand as dentistry has been practiced in some form or another for at least 9000 years. Archaeological sites in Pakistan show evidence that problematic teeth were drilled with a flint-headed bow drill to remove decay, or possibly to release evil spirits believed to be causing pain. This archaeological discovery was significant because it proved that dentistry dated back 4000 years earlier than previously predicted.

People living in ancient civilizations cleaned their teeth with a brush-like instrument fashioned by pounding or chewing on a twig. They were also known to clean their teeth with animal bones, bird feathers, or porcupine quills as determined by their culture. In short, people cared for their teeth with the tools and treatments available to them. For more insight into ancient dental practices, consider the following:


  • Manuscripts dating back to the 17th-century Egyptians included recipes and remedies for oral issues, many to relieve inflammation and minimize discomfort. Researchers also discovered a recipe for a substance surprisingly similar to modern composite filling material, made today of glass-like particles and acrylic resin

  • Ancient Egyptians crafted dental bridges to replace missing teeth and reattached lost teeth (either human or animal) to adjacent teeth with gold or silver wire

  • Egyptian physician and scribe, Hesi-Re, is credited as the first to recognize periodontal disease during the third dynasty of Egypt. References to Hesi-Re credit this physician with such titles as "Chief of Dentists" and "Doctor of the Tooth."

Dental Practices of the Middle Ages

Contrary to common belief, there is significant evidence suggesting that our medieval ancestors (5th-15th century) were reasonably enlightened about the importance of caring for their teeth. There is quite a bit of evidence suggesting medieval hygiene customs included the use of dental powders, toothpaste, and mouth rinses to fight bad breath.

Problematic teeth were treated with a combination of home remedies and the assistance of a barber-surgeon who, in addition to pulling teeth, cut hair, performed minor surgical procedures, and applied leeches believed to cure disease.

It was not unusual for the poor to have healthier teeth than the rich due to the differences in their diets. The wealthy could afford sugar. Archaeological evidence shows that only 20 percent of the teeth examined during the middle ages showed signs of decay, compared to 90 percent of teeth during the 20th century. Some of the conventional methods of dental care during medieval times included:

  • Drying teeth with linen after eating
  • Toothpaste made of sage and salt crystals
  • Brushing teeth with powdered charcoal or crushed black pepper
  • Mouth rinses made with vinegar or wine and aromatic spices
  • Liquids to whiten teeth
  • Clove oil and opium for pain relief
  • Teeth compromised by decay were commonly pulled

The Early Years of American Dentistry

Although the predecessor to the modern toothbrush, a small boar-bristle brush, was invented in China in 1498, the practice of using a brush to clean teeth did not reach Europe until the mid 17th century.

Until the late 1700s, dentistry was quite painful. It wasn't until the 1790s that nitrous oxide was first used to minimize the pain of dentistry. Nitrous oxide, "laughing gas," was a welcome addition to the field of dentistry, continued as a standard method of pain relief for the next 50 years, and is still used today.

For centuries, dentistry was often performed by people with little education or formal training. In the 1800s Horace Hayden and Chapin Harris founded the first dental society. By the 1850s dentistry was commonly practiced by physicians, medical school graduates who acquired apprenticeship training, and dentist's apprentices.

The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery was established in 1840, and Alabama forged the first Dental Practice Act in 1841. Nearly 20 years after establishing the first dental schools, the American Dental Association (ADA) was formed. In 1867 the Harvard University Dental School became the first dental institution affiliated with a university. Just a few additional noteworthy historical events include:

  • The invention of a reclining chair in 1832 and a hydraulic chair in 1877
  • The discovery of vulcanized rubber in 1839 by Charles Goodyear, revolutionizing dentures
  • The first female dentist, Lucy Hobbs, graduated in 1866 from Ohio College of Dental Surgery
  • The first mechanical dental drill was patented in 1871 by James Bealle Morrison
  • Colgate introduced the first commercial toothpaste in 1873, replacing common ingredients like soap and chalk
  • An electric dental drill was patented by American Dentist George Green in 1875
  • The first collapsible toothpaste tube, introduced in 1882
  • The discovery of procaine in 1905 which we know today as Novocain

In the early 1900s as few as 7 percent of American households brushed their teeth daily, or even had toothpaste in their homes. Most Americans did not begin brushing their teeth daily until after World War II.

Due to the alarming trend of poor oral health within their recruits, the military required those enlisted to brush their teeth twice each day. Soldiers are believed to have continued their healthier oral hygiene habits after the war, and family members followed their example. The government and health agencies also began educational programs in schools focused on teaching oral hygiene and the importance of dental checkups to school-aged children.

Today, we are much more fortunate than our ancestors. We understand the importance of brushing, flossing, rinsing, and regular dental exams. Modern dentistry continues to advance and dental patients have more treatment options than ever before to maintain and restore their healthy smiles. For preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry in Pembroke Pines, FL, contact Salgra Dental Group to see what the latest advances in dental technology could do for you.


Additional Sources:

https://www.nature.com/articles/4811723

https://www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada/ada-history-and-presidents-of-the-ada/ada-history-of-dentistry-...

https://www.theguardian.com/society/gallery/2014/jun/16/a-history-of-dentistry-in-pictures



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