The human race has been aware of the significance of dental health and its practices since the very beginning of our civilization. The earliest evidence of dentistry dates back from 7000 BC to 5500 BC. In fact, it is considered the first specialization in medicine which has evolved over centuries through deep study and analysis.
At Mint Dental GC, we give you the best dentists on the Gold Coast and can also tell you some very interesting facts about dentistry. So, in this piece, we’ll dig deeper into the history of dentistry. So, let’s see what the history of dental care unfolds for us.
History of Dentist: In A Nutshell
A study suggests that Neanderthals used dentistry tools nearly 130,000 years ago. However, the first evidence of teeth having been drilled with flint tools belongs to the stone age (around 7000BC) from the Indus valley civilization. Taking it further, we find the earliest dental filling in Slovenia which is about 6500 years old.
Around 2500BC, people in prehistoric Malta treated dental abscesses using rudimentary tools. In the ancient Sumerian texts, ‘tooth worms’ were described as the reason behind dental caries and this belief was prevalent in China, India, Japan, and Egypt.
We find a number of historic papyrus annals that mention the recipes to treat toothache. The Edwin Smith Papyrus which talks about the treatment of fractured or dislocated jaws were written in the 17th century BC. When we dig into the history Greco-Romans and ancient Egyptians, we also find the mention of dental prosthetics.
Renowned ancient scholars Aristotle and Hippocrates wrote about fractured jaws, the use of wires to stabilize loose teeth, extracting teeth with forceps, gum diseases, decaying teeth, and eruption patterns too. Hesy-Ra is famously known as the first dentist who lived in ancient Egypt.
Dental amalgams were first documented in 659AD by the Chinese physician Su Kung during the reign of the Tang Dynasty. We also find the mention of dentistry in various books written during the Islamic Golden Age (8th to 14th century AD).
Even with predominant practices throughout history dentistry was not considered a professional until the 20th century. The dental extractions and other procedures were often executed by general physicians or barbers. Guy de Chauliac, who also believed that worms cause dental caries, invented the dental pelican in the 14th century.
This tool was prevalent till the 18th century, it was first replaced by the dental key and subsequently by modern forceps in the 19th century. In the year 1530, the first book was written on dentistry which we know as “ArtzneyBuchlein”. In 1685, Charles Allen wrote the first textbook dedicated to dentistry in English which was called “Operator for the Teeth”.
Modern dentistry took shape between 1650 and 1800. Pierre Fauchard, a French surgeon during the late 17th and early 18th century came to be known as the father of modern dentistry. Fauchard operated on dental surgery using a wide array of tools that he adapted from barbers, jewellers, and watchmakers.
He is credited for introducing dental fillings, prostheses, and braces. He also suggested that artificial teeth can be made from ivory or bone and affirmed that sugar-derived acids are responsible for dental decay.
Mint Dental GC gives you the best dentists on the Gold Coast and ensures the wholesome oral health of the people of this region.