Old dental system

Ancient  Dentistry

The Indus Valley Civilization has yielded evidence of dentistry being practised as far back as 7000 BC.

Earliest form of dentistry involved curing tooth related disorders with bow drills operated, perhaps, by skilled bead craftsmen.In what could be one of the earliest examples of dentistry.Scientists at the University of Missouri-Columbia in the United States have found tiny, perfectly rounded holes in teeth found in Mehrgarh in pre-historic Pakistan, which they suspect were drilled to repair tooth decay.Researcher Andrea Cucina, who first discovered the tiny holes, reveals that they didn't appear to be a funeral rite and the teeth were still in the jaw so they had not been drilled to make a necklace. He and his colleagues suspect the holes were a treatment for tooth decay and that plants or another substance had been inserted into the holes to prevent bacterial growth.

The earliest dental filling, made of beeswax, was discovered in Slovenia and dates from 6500 years ago.

The first and most enduring explanation for what causes tooth decay was the tooth worm, first noted by the Sumerians around 5000 BC. The hypothesis was that tooth decay was the result of a tooth worm boring into and decimating the teeth.The idea of the tooth worm has been found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosophers and poets, as well as those of the ancient Indian, Japanese, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures. It endured as late as the 1300s, when French surgeon Guy de Chauliac promoted it as the cause of tooth decay.

Examination of the remains of some ancient Egyptians and Greco-Romans reveals early attempts at dental prosthetics and surgery.Ancient Greek scholars Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about dentistry, including the eruption pattern of teeth, treating decayed teeth and gum disease, extracting teeth with forceps, and using wires to stabilize loose teeth and fractured jaws. Some say the first use of dental appliances or bridges comes from the Etruscans from as early as 700 BC.

The ancient dentist

 The Egyptian,Hesi-Re was the earliest dentist whose name is known. He practiced in 3000 BC and was called “Chief of the Toothers.” Egyptian pharaohs were known to have suffered from periodontal disease. Radiographs of mummies confirm this fact.

Dental extractions

Historically, dental extractions have been used to treat a variety of illnesses. During the Middle Ages and throughout the 19th century, dentistry was not a profession in itself, and often dental procedures were performed by barbers or general physicians. Barbers usually limited their practice to extracting teeth which alleviated pain and associated chronic tooth infection.Before the 18th century, this often involved tying a string around the tooth; a drum might be played in the background to distract the patient, getting louder as the moment of extraction grew nearer. To advertise their services as ‘tooth-pullers’, many barber-surgeons hung rows of rotten teeth outside their shops.

The Armentariam

Dental Pelican

Dental Key

Instruments used for dental extractions date back several centuries. In the 14th century, Guy de Chauliac invented the dental pelican (resembling a pelican's beak) which was used to perform dental extractions up until the late 18th century. The pelican later gave way to the Dental Key which, in turn, was replaced by modern forceps in the 20th century.

The equipments

The first dental foot engine was built by John Greenwood in 1790 . It was made from an adapted foot-powered spinning wheel.

John Greenwood

1790 was a big year for dentistry, as this was also the year the first specialized dental chairwas invented. It was made from a wooden Windsor chair with a headrest attached.In 1871, George F. Green invented the first electrical dental engine and in 1957, John Borden invented the first high speed electric hand drill.