Dentistry was not an established profession in the Middle Ages or
well into the 19th century, when work with human oral issues and teeth
was often a sideline of barbers or physicians. The instruments used
were the pelican for extractions, and then the dental key, which was
eventually replaced by forceps. The first dental textbook was not
written until 1685, called ‘Operator for the Teeth’, of historical
interest to dentists like Judd Lesser today.
The father of modern dentistry, French surgeon Pierre Fauchard, innovated the first surgical instruments in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, adapting dental tools from those used by watch makers, jewelers and barbers. Fauchard pioneered the use of fillings for cavities, and pinpointed sugar derivatives as the source of dental decay. Fouchard also asserted that tumors appeared on teeth and gums as a result of advanced tooth decay. Methods of replacing lost teeth included carved blocks of ivory or bone and the first dental braces were included in Fauchard’s dental experiments. Fauchard’s book, ‘The Surgeon Dentist’ of 1728, recorded his successful dental inventions and procedures, still quite recognizable, effective instruction today by dental specialists like Dr. Judd Lesser.
British surgeon John Hunter experimented with tooth transplants in the 1760’s, with mixed results. Although meeting with no long term success, Hunter established the beginnings of implants, a specialty of Dr. Judd Lesser today. Dentistry evolved into a profession in the 19th century, and the Dentist Act of 1878 regulated the industry. Dentistry experienced a major elevation when the President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Francis Brodie Imlach, a dentist, was elected in 1879.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentistry
The father of modern dentistry, French surgeon Pierre Fauchard, innovated the first surgical instruments in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, adapting dental tools from those used by watch makers, jewelers and barbers. Fauchard pioneered the use of fillings for cavities, and pinpointed sugar derivatives as the source of dental decay. Fouchard also asserted that tumors appeared on teeth and gums as a result of advanced tooth decay. Methods of replacing lost teeth included carved blocks of ivory or bone and the first dental braces were included in Fauchard’s dental experiments. Fauchard’s book, ‘The Surgeon Dentist’ of 1728, recorded his successful dental inventions and procedures, still quite recognizable, effective instruction today by dental specialists like Dr. Judd Lesser.
British surgeon John Hunter experimented with tooth transplants in the 1760’s, with mixed results. Although meeting with no long term success, Hunter established the beginnings of implants, a specialty of Dr. Judd Lesser today. Dentistry evolved into a profession in the 19th century, and the Dentist Act of 1878 regulated the industry. Dentistry experienced a major elevation when the President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Francis Brodie Imlach, a dentist, was elected in 1879.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentistry
