A Tongue In Cheek Look At The History Of Dentistry Part 1
Nowadays dental implants in Richmond are fast becoming the norm rather than the exception. As such in dental terms we probably can’t imagine a world without them. With this in mind what was life like before implants. More importantly, what was life like before dentists. Let’s take a look back in time
The tooth worms are coming!
An ancient text was found written by the Sumerian people in around 5000 BC describing ‘the demon tooth worms that caused dental decay.’
My Name’s Hesy-Re, but you can call me dentist!
In 2600 BC an Egyptian scribe by the name of Hesy-Re died. On his tombstone was written ‘Here lies Hesy-Re. The greatest of all those who deal with teeth’ This is arguably the earliest known reference to a dentist as we know it today
Dentistry – Everyone was writing about it
By 300 BC even philosophers and physicians such as Aristotle and Hippocrates were writing about dentistry. This included early instructions on how to treat decaying teeth and rather alarmingly – how to remove them with forceps – ouch!
I need me some bling
The ancient Etruscans were among the first to practice dental prosthetics in around 200 AD. A person would often show their wealth by having their teeth removed and replacing them with gold. Not very practical, but boy they looked good!
The first fillings
An ancient medical text found believed to be written in China in 700AD was the first to mention the use of silver paste as a type of amalgam. They should have mentioned it to the Etruscans, they could have saved themselves a lot of money!
The barber surgeons are coming!
Have you ever wondered why there are red and white poles outside barber shops? It’s because back in 1210 barbers didn’t simply cut hair. Instead the humble barber dealt in a whole host of gruesome practices. Fortunately around this time it was decreed that barbers be split into two groups known as surgeons and barber surgeons. The latter weren’t trusted to perform complex surgeries of the time and instead performed more routine services including shaving, blood letting, and tooth extraction.
German practicality
By 1530 the world’s first book devoted entirely to dentistry was produced in Germany. It covered a wide range of practical topics such as basic oral hygiene, tooth extraction and fillings – just as any good German manual should!
The US gets it’s first proper dentist
By 1760 John Baker had emigrated from England to become the first ever recognised dentist to practice in the US.
It’s another 240 years before people can experience dental implants in Richmond but stay tuned for part two of this post where things in the dental world start to move very quickly indeed.
Thankfully in the 21st century we don’t have to go to the barbers if we suffer from tooth problems and instead, modern-state of the art clinics such as Sheen Dental are the preferred location of choice. To book an appointment with us we invite you to either book online by visiting our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk, or alternatively contact us direct on 020 8876 5277.