Dentists and Dental Supplies Throughout History

 Dentists and dental supplies are nothing new, in fact, it's been said that the practice of dentistry has been around since nearly 7000 B.C., originating in the Indus Valley Civilization. The dentist supplies have indeed evolved from their primitive beginnings into the advanced dentist supplies we have today, but have you ever wondered about how they go to this point? In order to help us appreciate the sheer marvel that is modern dentistry, we need understand the past.

As mentioned above, the Indus Valley zinc phosphate cement Civilization has left behind evidence of dentistry being practiced in their society, as far back 7000 B.C. Records have shown that their early form of dental work cured tooth diseases with bow drills commonly used by artisans and bead craftsmen. Scientists have reenacted this form of dentistry and have proved that although primitive and probably extremely painful, the reenactments ruled that these early forms of dentistry and dental supplies were effective.

Furthermore, the 18th century Code of Hammurabi referenced dental extraction in reference to punishment. (Which is probably where the fear of dentistry practices first began). It has also been determined that ancient Greek scholars Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about dentistry, including the growth pattern of teeth, and how to treat decayed teeth and gums. The first known book that completely discussed dentistry was the Artzney Buchlein and it was published in 1530. The first English dentist textbook was called Operator For the Teeth by Charles Allen and it was published in 1685. It was during this period that modern dentistry really started to take off.

Pierre Fauchard, 17th century French physician, is said to be the man responsible for starting the modern dentistry science revolution and really revolutionized the practice with his book The Surgeon Dentist. He is aptly named "the father of modern dentistry". Some of his many developments include the use of dental prosthesis, the advent of dental fillings, and he pioneered the notion that sugar derivative acids like tartaric acid are one of the culprits of tooth decay.

The first dental school is the Baltimore College of Dental surgery and it opened in 1840. Shortly after, Philadelphia Dental College was founded in 1863. As education and technology developed, so did the amount of dental school and practicing dentists. It is interesting to note that Doc Holiday, the famous Wild West figure, was a dentist before he decided that gunfighting and gambling were his true callings. In fact, he earned his degree in dental surgery at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery, and had offices in Atlanta and Dallas.

All in all, modern dentists and dentist supplies wouldn't be what they are today without the courageous innovators of the past. One look at some ancient dental supplies, and you're sure to appreciate the modern dentist supplies that your practitioner uses.