History of Dentistry

HISTORY AND
EVOLUTION OF
DENTISTRY
WHY HISTORY NOW….?????
A profession that is ignorant of its past experiences has lost a
valuable asset because “it has missed its best guide to the future”
B.W.Weinberger
Dentistry: An Illustrated History (Mosby, 1995)
Just as with all medicine, dentistry is an ever-evolving
field.
Nowadays, we’re constantly updating technology and

improving our knowledge to better serve our patients .
But imagine if you lived 200 hundred years ago. What was
dentistry like then? How about during the middle ages? Would
the dentists of those times have been able to replace your lost
tooth? Would they have been able to fill a cavity? What would
they have recommended you do for a toothache?
Let’s take a look!

7000 BC
• The history of dentistry may be traced back to 7000 BC in the

Indus Valley Civilization (now Pakistan).
• Researchers speculate that bead craftsmen used a drill made
of flint heads to remove tooth enamel and rotting dental
tissue.
• Evidence suggests that this procedure was surprisingly
effective.
ANCIENT TIMES
• 7000 BC – First evidence of Dentistry

• 5000 BC - “tooth worms” were considered as the cause of dental
decay.
Ancient Times:
• 500 BC – Dentistry is first referenced in writings by Hippocrates

and Aristotle, including extracting teeth with forceps and using
wires to stabilize loose teeth and fractured jaws.
Middle Ages:
• 1300s – Instead of dentists, “barber surgeons” used

their experience with sheers and cutting tools to
extract teeth
• 1530 – the first book devoted to dentistry is published
in Germany
Pierre Fauchard
• Pierre Fauchard of France (1678-1761) is known today as the

“Father of Modern Dentistry.”
• When he was 15 years old, he began his surgical training in the
French navy.
• He became particularly interested in diseases of the mouth as
he was exposed to various illnesses of sailors while at sea.
• Prominent on his voyages was scurvy, the “seaman’s disease”,
which occurs due to a deficiency of vitamin C.
• Scurvy is characterized by the formation of spots on the skin,
spongy gums and bleeding from the mucous membranes.
• After leaving the French Navy, Fauchard began working as a
professional dentist in France.
• His practice flourished and he earned a promising reputation as
a dental surgeon, attracting patients from all over the country.
• Fauchard composed his own treatise on the foundations of
dentistry, Le Chirurgien Dentiste ou Traité des Dents (The
Surgeon-Dentist, or Treatise on the Teeth), in 1728.
• In it, Fauchard described the foundations of oral anatomy
and physiology.
18th Century:
• 1790 – the first known “dental foot engine” is invented by

John Greenwood, who adapted a foot treadle spinning
wheel into a rotating drill.
Also, fashioned from a Windsor chair, the first
wooden dental chair is constructed, complete with an
adjustable neck rest and instrument holder
19th Century:
• 1825 – Commercial manufacture of
porcelain teeth commences
• 1840 – the first dental school is founded
in Baltimore, Maryland and the American
Society of Dental Surgeons originates
• 1850 – Amalgam, or silver “fillings” are introduced
• 1880 – Tube toothpaste is sold
• 1895 – The first dental x-ray is taken by a New Orleans,
Louisiana dentist
19th century
FEDERATION DENTAIRE INTERNATIONALE (FDI) IS FORMED IN

YEAR 1900.
20th Century:
• 1905 – To the relief of patients worldwide,

Novocain is introduced!
• 1913 – the first school devoted to training dental
hygienists opens in Bridgeport, Connecticut
• 1938 – Todays modern nylon toothbrush is
invented
• 1950 – The first fluoride toothpastes are
introduced
20th century
• 1960 – Dental lasers are introduced for soft tissue procedures,

along with the first electric toothbrush
• 1990 – Aesthetic dental era is launched with the intro and rising
popularity of bleaching and veneers
• 2000s – Numerous laws, acts, and programs are introduced to
ensure access to dental treatment and services for children and
underserved populations
• Dentistry continued to expand rapidly throughout the 20th
century.
• An increasing number of graduate programs emerged
specializing in various fields, including oral radiology,
maxillofacial surgery, oral pathology, paediatric dentistry, and
prosthodontics.
• To promote high standards of specialization, the Royal
College of Dentists of Canada was created by federal
statute in 1964.
• With this, the profession of dentistry expanded to include
various auxiliary workers, including dental hygienists.
TO CONCLUDE…
• As can be seen from this brief history, dentistry has come a

long way since the first dental drill was used thousands of
years ago.
• It has experienced extensive advancements in technology,
training, and regulation from the eighteenth century to
present times.
• Let us all be thankful for these developments the next time
we’re ‘stuck’ in the dentist’s chair.

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HISTORY AND

Nowadays, we’re constantly updating technology and

Let’s take a look!

• The history of dentistry may be traced back to 7000 BC in the

• 7000 BC – First evidence of Dentistry

• 500 BC – Dentistry is first referenced in writings by Hippocrates

• 1300s – Instead of dentists, “barber surgeons” used

• Pierre Fauchard of France (1678-1761) is known today as the

• 1790 – the first known “dental foot engine” is invented by

FEDERATION DENTAIRE INTERNATIONALE (FDI) IS FORMED IN

• 1905 – To the relief of patients worldwide,

• 1960 – Dental lasers are introduced for soft tissue procedures,

• As can be seen from this brief history, dentistry has come a

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