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A HISTORY OF PRE-DENTISTRY People from the old times suffered from the same mouth troubles and diseases we go through right now. They developed cavities and gum problems too, and sometimes they went to have their tooth extracted by a Medieval dentist. And so dentistry was born. Here's a brief section about how dentistry, and pre-dentistry, became a worldwide practice. The dentist strikes back For some reason we have this idea that tooth cavities and other mouth problems are caused by chemicals and preservatives in the food we eat. Which is party true, but not all of it is fact. You should know that people went to see the dentist even during the Medieval Times. Fact is dentistry has been around as early as 7000BC to 5500BC. Experts found a Sumerian text describing a “tooth worm” as a possible cause of dental caries. Later on they found evidence of this belief in China, Japan, Egypt and Pakistan, leading experts to conclude that dentistry may well be in practice during those times. A 17th century scroll, the Edwin Smith Papyrus, talked about the treatment of several oral diseases. One century later the Code of Hammurabi was written and it referred to tooth extraction as a form of punishment. In modern times many Greco-Romans and Egyptian mummies have been dug up and examined over the years. Experts found early attempts at surgery and dental prosthetics in these remains. Chilling, but an exciting find all the same. The father of modern dentistry Charles Allen wrote “Operator for the Teeth” in 1685, the first English textbook on dentistry. But the very first dentistry book, Artzney Buchlein, actually came out more than a century earlier – it was published in 1530. It is however Pierre Fauchard, a 17th century French physician, who was credited the title of “the father of modern dentistry” for his brilliant innovations in the field. These include the development and use of prosthesis, his discovery of sugar derivative acids as the cause of tooth decay, as well as the introduction of dental fillings as treatment for dental caries. Pre-dentistry courses were implemented when the need for more competent graduates began to show itself. In fact hundreds of “dentists” were practicing illegally in England around the late 1800s. As a countermeasure the British Dentists Act took to limiting the title of “dentists” to qualified and registered practicioners, those who finished their dentistry and pre-dentistry courses. So any way you look at it, modern dentistry begins with pre-dentistry. |
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