The Evolution of Dentistry

Written By: Eimaan Shahid

For many of us, going to the dentist has been a common practice in our lives since we were toddlers. Every 6 months we would dreadfully go with our parents to get our teeth and gums thoroughly cleaned. As we got older, perhaps some of us had more frequent visits surrounding our teeth for braces, Invisalign, wisdom teeth removals, or implants. Just like our dental visits now, people living centuries ago also needed to find ways to maintain their pearly whites considering toothpaste and brushes were not mass-produced until 1873 (“Ancient Dentistry”, 2015). Many Arabian tribes used sticks, known as “miswak” to clean their teeth. Other civilizations such as the ancient Egyptians used a tooth powder made of burned egg whites. Over time, dentistry has evolved to become a field with advanced research, oral health products, and technological potential, but all of these advancements originated from basic interventions.

Dentistry is one of the oldest professions in the medical field and dates back all the way to 7000 B.C. The oldest records we have of dental research is from a book written in Suriname text from this time period, which stated a theory that tooth decay was caused by “tooth worms”. This ancient theory was not debunked until the late 1700s (“History of Dentistry”, 2020)! The earliest dental filling was found in a skeleton that was 13,000 years old (Gannon, 2017).

Although the concept of dentistry had been around for a while, dentistry was not seen as a complete profession until the early 1700s. Pierre Fauchard, known as the Father of Modern Dentistry, published his book based on all of the research he had collected (‘Ancient Dentistry”, 2015). The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise on Teeth, became the first-ever guide for oral care known to man. Pierre established many procedures we have modernized today such as fillings, orthodontic procedures, and root canals. Over the next century, dental care would expand to become a phenomenon that spread across the nation; from dental practices to the first dental institution at Harvard University, dentistry was slowly becoming a widespread field in medicine. New technological developments were also being made during this time, as the first dental x-ray was done in 1896 (Thunthy, 2013).

Common dental procedures like wisdom teeth removal, braces, and fillings have originated from the 17th and 18th centuries. However, dentistry is continuously evolving as research and development in the field is increasing. For instance, Invisalign is a new and improved method of straightening the teeth and was only introduced in the late 90s. Other advancements such as digital 3D X-rays, laser cavity detectors, veneers, implants, and air abrasion have all been perfected within the past 10 years (Friedman, 2019).

As we have learned, dentistry has changed dramatically since the days of Pierre Fauchard. From using sticks as toothbrushes to using animal skin cords as braces, it is safe to say that we have come a long way in terms of oral care. These drastic changes since the 17th century are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dentistry as a whole. The combination of modern science and dentistry has unlocked endless opportunities for research and development, and we can only imagine what the future has to hold for the dental field.

Sources

(2015, October 24). Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.adea.org/GoDental/Health_Professions_Advisors/History_of_Dentistry.aspx

ADA. History of Dentistry. Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/ada-library/dental-history

Friedman, M. (2019, October 09). Dental Health: Advances in Care. Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/advances-in-dental-care-whats-new-at-the-dentist

Gannon, M. (2017, April 18). Earliest Dental Fillings Discovered in 13,000-Year-Old Skeleton. Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.livescience.com/58722-earliest-dental-fillings-ice-age-skeleton.html

Thunty, K (2013, December 13). Early Pioneers of Early and Maxillofacial Radiology. Retrieved July 02, 2020, from https://www.aaomr.org/assets/History/early_pioneers_of_oral_and_m.pdf