Dentistry has come a long way, and here, we’ll go over some of the different historical practices that were used, and what was done to take modern dentistry to where it is today.

Ancient Techniques 

Density is actually a very old medical practice, with it dating all the way back to 79000 BC, and seen in the Indus valley.   However, the descriptions of tooth decay were first seen in Sumerian texts. However, these were wrong, and they talked about tooth worms that caused tooth decay. Obviously, that isn’t the case.

However, Aristotle and Hippocrates did write about the treatment of decaying teeth. Back then they used fine-tooth combs, in order to ensure that their teeth were cleaned. These were made from the hair of animals. They also used toothpaste, but tit was a very abrasive product. 

The Middle Ages 

The middle ages saw some dentistry as well, except these were in the form of magic and myths, which have since been disproven.

Back then people thought that teeth were magical items.   They were also used to protect a child from fairies. 

The Europeans did believe that witches would curse people with their teeth, so they would dispose of them either through swallowing, burying, or even burning their teeth. Some fed them to rodents, or were even just thrown out. 

Tooth decay was again thought to be caused by a tooth worm, which they thought burrowed into a tooth like it did with wood.  Some of the remedies for this were interesting.   While some were more normal like burning candles made of eryngo seed and sheep suet near the teeth, others were quite interesting, such as kissing a donkey, as purported by Germanic legend. 

Some even said they should not clean their ears, as the practitioners did advise against cleaning up the ears to prevent this. obviously there was a lot of false information which would not be disproven for another few centuries. 

The Beginning of Modern Dentistry 

Remember the idea of tooth worms? Well that was thought to be a thing until the 1700s! However, in 1530 there was a little medicinal book that talked about the infirmities of the teeth, which was devoted to dentistry.

The first dentists were seen in the 1700s, with Pierre Fauchard in 1723, being the father of modern dental practices.   He wrote a whole comprehensive means for treating and caring for teeth. He was also the first to introduce fillings, and dental prosthesis. He also figured out that sugar and acids were what caused dental decay.

The first dental college was founded about a century later in 1840, and this was the Baltimore college of Dental Surgery, which was something that seemed to be popular back then.   The ADA was formed in the 1860s, 20 years before the first dental practice was founded in Alabama. 

Then of course, the first dental institution and university was the Harvard University Dental School, which they founded back in 1867. 

Colgate was the first to make modern toothpaste, which was made in 1873, and toothbrushes were founded a few years after that. 

The first x-ray was used in 1896, and more systems for crooked teeth developed here. Obviously, when we look at where it’s come today, we have a lot more to work with.

Various cleaning devices that get deep like the cavitron are popular. There’s also various technology to see directly any malicious tissues, such as cancers and growths.   With the evolution of dental care, we see how far it’s come, and how through this constant evolution, we are able to care for more people than ever before.