The practice of dentistry has been around for a long time, from around 7000 BC since the time of the Indus Valley Civilization in India and Pakistan. Of course the practice was not quite so specialized as it is today. It was the barbers and general physicians who were the dentists of the past, until the sixteenth century. Further, the tools that they used may look like instruments of torture to the modern world.
The Bow Drill
The earliest dentist’s tool was the bow drill. Moreover, it is believed that since the bow drill was the tool used by beads craftsmen, it fell on them to try and cure tooth-related problems. It can be a frightening thought in today’s world of relatively painless procedures, but pain was often a test of faith in the ancient past. Or it was considered a sign of the patient’s vitality and a sign that the physician’s prescription was working. It was only later in seventeenth century Europe that it became a medical problem that physicians wanted to solve.
The Belief of the Tooth Worm
The ancient Sumerians as well as the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Japanese and Indians, believed ‘tooth worms’ were to blame for teeth problems. Ancient Greek scholars wrote about the use of forceps for the treatment of tooth decay. There is also mention of the use of wires for giving stability to loose teeth and broken jaws. The Egyptians used gold wire to hold together loose teeth. This was the first instances of cosmetic dental treatments.
The Dental Pelican and the Dental Key
In the fourteenth century, the Dental Pelican was invented by a French surgeon for extraction. Extraction was one of the usual methods to treat pain and stop tooth decay. This device resembled a pelican’s beak and had many variations. The claw was placed on top of the tooth and the fulcrum – a semi-circular metal piece – was places against the gum. The tooth was then removed sideways. This process is likely to have caused damage to the surrounding teeth and gums, besides being painful. This was followed by the Dental key, which looked rather like a corkscrew and was rotated to remove the decayed tooth. Then came forceps, which are still used today.
The Dental Foot Engine
In 1790 the Victorian foot engine, adapted from the spinning wheel, was invented, followed by the electrical dental engine in 1871. The precursor to the modern dental chair was also invented in 1790.
Modern implements and anesthesia
Opium had been used as an anesthetic for a long time until nitrous oxide became popular in the nineteenth century. Then came great innovations like the porcelain crown, Novacain, the high speed electric hand drill and dental lasers.
Dental treatments have come a long way in the last 100 years. It is relatively painless and there are numerous techniques that are available today to treat all kinds of dental problems. Cosmetic surgery is now the latest innovation for which one may visit a dentist. Moorsetown has clinics that offer every modern service used in general care, preventive care and implant dentistry.
Dentist Moorsetown – If you need a dentist, Moorsetown locals may direct you to Willingboro Family Dental for all your teeth-related treatments, whether preventive, general or cosmetic.
