Modern Dentistry

Today dentistry is considered specialized field that takes years of education, practice, and certifications to practice and perform a service for a community. This was not always the case in the past. Even though teeth were being studied since ancient Egyptian times it wasn’t until the 18th century that dentistry was considered a real science. For thousands of years people who worked on teeth were considered physicians as they dealt with body related problems. In this paper we will touch on the major turning points that lead to what modern dentistry is today. From diagnosing decay due to tooth-worms, to extractions being the solution to tooth pain, to Paul Revere not only saving the public from the British, but also tooth decay, to advanced

Here is a brief history of those pioneers and milestones. The earliest record of “dental” work dates back to 2600 BC in Egypt. The tomb of Hesy-Ra, an Egyptian scribe, is engraved with “The greatest of those who deal with teeth and of physicians”. Then later, Hippocrates and Aristotle recorded many dental examinations from tooth eruptions sequences to treating decayed teeth and gingiva disease between 500-300 BC. In ancient times tooth decay was thought to be brought on by “tooth worms” in the mouth and there is evidence of the first treatments orally. Later still, during Middle Ages between 1200 and 1600 tooth related problems fell onto Barber-Surgeons who performed services such as shaving, blood letting, and tooth extractions. They also went by the name lay barbers as they were performing less complex procedures. Then, during the 18th Century a French surgeon Pierre Fauchard published his book called The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth. Fauchard’s book covered oral anatomy, restorative techniques, and dentistry as a professional practice. It was during this time that dentistry was becoming more recognized as a profession. What followed is Paul Revere’s dental practice that lead to the first documented case in dental forensics. TO BE