History of Dentistry PDF

THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION The Indus Valley Civilization has yielded evidence of dentistry being practiced as far back as 7000 BC. This earliest form of dentistry involved curing tooth related disorders with bow drills operated, perhaps, by skilled bead craftsmen. The reconstruction of this...

THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION The Indus Valley Civilization has yielded evidence of dentistry being practiced as far back as 7000 BC. This earliest form of dentistry involved curing tooth related disorders with bow drills operated, perhaps, by skilled bead craftsmen. The reconstruction of this ancient form of dentistry showed that the methods used were reliable and effective. THE SUMERIANS A Sumerian text from 5000 BC describes a \"tooth worm\" as the cause of dental caries. Evidence of this belief has also been found in ancient India, Egypt, Japan, and China. The legend of the worm is also found in the writings of Homer, and as late as the 1300s AD the Surgeon Guy de Chauliac still promoted the belief that worms cause tooth decay. THE EGYPTIANS Hesi-Re was the earliest dentist whose name is known. He practiced in 3000 BC and was called \"Chief of the Toothers,\" Egyptian pharaohs were known to have suffered from periodontal (gum) disease. Radiographs of mummies confirm this fact. \"The earliest evidence of ancient dentistry we have is an amazingly detailed dental work on a mummy from ancient Egypt that archaeologists have dated to 2000 BC. The work shows intricate gold work around the teeth. This mummy was found with two donor teeth that had holes drilled into them. Wires were strung through the holes and then around the neighboring teeth.\" 1700-1550 BC An Egyptian text, the Ebers Papyrus, refers to diseases of the teeth and various toothache remedies. THE CHINESE By 2000 B.C. the Chinese were practicing dentistry. Around the 2nd century A.D. the Chinese developed a silver amalgam paste for fillings (more than 1000 years before dentists in the west). THE GREEKS Hippocrates (460-377 BC) earned the title of Father of Medicine, He discussed the functions of teeth and eruption of teeth. Aristotle (384-322 BC), the great philosopher, referred to teeth in many of his writings. Aristotle mistakenly stated that men had 32 teeth and women had only 30. From this came the use of the term \"wisdom teeth,\" which only men supposedly had. THE ETRUSCANS They practiced dental prosthetics using gold crowns and fixed bridgework. THE ROMANS Romans were skilled in restoring decayed teeth with gold They then used toothbrushes called \"chew sticks\" and were actualy small branches, with one frayed end. They were rubbed on teeth to SCrape off any particles. Roman medical writer Cornelius Celsus in his writings referred to the disease that affect the soft parts of mouth and their treatment. THE ARABS They were interested in the care of teeth rather than in their extraction and replacement, and mouth hygiene was a wel established technique. They used small wooden stick, the end of which was often chewed, the wood fibers being used as a brush called\"Siwak\" THE RENAISSANCE Leonardo Da Vinci studied human anatomy and sketched every part of the human body. He was the first to differentiate between molars and premolars. DENTAL TOOLS In the 14th century, Guy de Chauliac, invented the dental pelican (resembling a pelican\'s beak) which was used to perform dental extractions up until the late 18th century. The pelican was replaced by the dental key which, in turn, was replaced by modern forceps in the 20th century. LATE 14TH CENTURY The first modern idea of toothbrush was invented in China. This idea was introduced into the western world in 16th century. The first book focused solely on dentistry was the \"Artzney Buchlein\" in 1530. The first dental textbook written in English was called \"Operator for the Teeth\" by Charles Allen. IN 16TH CENTURY Pierre Fauchard is the father Of Modern Dentistry. He developed dentistry as an independent profession from medicine. In 1723 he published \"The Surgeon Dentist\". \>The first known case of post-mortem in dental forensics was reported in 1776. Paul Revere, a dentist, verified the death of his friend Dr. Joseph Warren in battle of Breed\'s Hill when he identified the bridge that he constructed for Warren. Frenchman Nicolas Dubois de Chemant received the first patent for porcelain teeth in 1789 John Greenwood constructed the first \"Dental Foot Engine\" in 1790. He adapts his mother\'s foot treadle spinning wheel to rotate a drill. Josiah Flagg, a prominent American dentist in the same year, constructs the first dental chair. To a Windsor chair he attached an adjustable headrest plus an arm extension that could hold instruments. RichardC. 17TH CENTURY Skinner in 1801 writes the \"Treatise on the Human Tooth\", the first book published in America. Samuel Stockton begins commercial manufacture of \"porcelain teeth\" in 1825. His S. S. White Dental Manufacturing Company establishes and dominates the dental supply market throughout the 19th century.