Highlights from battle against tooth decay
- The skulls of Cro-Magnon peoples indicate that tooth decay was in evidence some 25,000 years ago, and a Sumerian text from 5000 BC describes “tooth worms” as a cause of dental decay.
- The Chinese used acupuncture around 2700 BC to treat the pain associated with tooth decay.
- The Ebers papyrus from ancient Egypt, written between 1700 and 1500 BC, contains references to diseases of the teeth, and prescriptions for substances such as olive oil, dates and green lead to ease throbbing in the teeth.
- Aesculapius, a Greek physician who lived between 1300 and 1200 BC, is often credited with originating the concept of extracting diseased teeth.
- Between 500 and 300 BC, Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about ointments and red-hot wire being used to treat diseases of the teeth and gums.
They also discussed tooth extraction and the use of wires to hold broken jaws and loose teeth in place.
- A little later, physicians in Arabia wrote of scraping teeth and using the earliest form of toothbrush, a small stick softened at one end.
- In the Middle Ages in Europe, surgeons frequently acted as dentists for the wealthy, using metal rods as dental drills to remove plaque.
- From the Middle Ages to the early 1700s, barber-surgeons extracted teeth, did minor surgery, applied leeches to let blood and embalmed bodies.
- In the 15th century in Italy, gold leaf was frequently used to fill cavities.
- In the 16th century in France, soft lead was used as filling material.
- French surgeon Pierre Fauchard (1678-1761), author of The Surgeon Dentist, A Treatise on Teeth, is regarded as the father of modern dentistry.
- Dental practitioners who migrated to the North American colonies in the 18th century were mainly concerned with extracting diseased teeth and replacing them with dentures.
- Until the mid-19th century, dentures were custom-made by skilled artisans, who used gold, silver, and ivory for the job.
- In 1851, a process for moulding artificial porcelain teeth was developed, making the manufacture of dentures relatively inexpensive.
Highlights from battle against tooth decay
