When you think about it, dentists are a pretty recent invention. Sure, they’ve been around for thousands of years (think Egyptian mummies), but your average Joe probably didn’t have one back then. In fact, it wasn’t until the 19th century that dental practices as we know them began to appear. With that in mind – what did people do before dentists? This article explores the history and practices of dentistry through ancient times to the present day, and will answer all your questions about the role of dentists throughout history.
Who were the first dentists?
The first dentists were “barbers” – people who were also trained in bloodletting, surgery, and hair cutting. They served as the first practitioners of dentistry, with the added bonus of being able to cut hair at the same time! Many barbers of the 19th century would offer teeth extractions and tooth fillings as a side service – usually for a small fee. However, dental practices were still in their infancy in the 19th century. It wasn’t until the 1880s that the American Dental Association was formed, and teeth-related practices were standardized.
Why is oral hygiene so important?
It’s no exaggeration to say that a person’s oral hygiene (or lack thereof) can have a profound effect on their quality of life. In ancient times, there was no understanding of the importance of oral hygiene. People didn’t understand the connection between their teeth and the rest of their bodies, and therefore didn’t make the effort to keep their teeth clean.
In fact, it wasn’t until 1901 that William B. Brush – founder of the toothbrush company that still exists today – realized that people should clean their teeth in addition to their gums. He recognized that when you focus solely on the gums, you leave the rest of the teeth untouched. This can lead to tooth decay – a mouth-wide problem that can have serious consequences.
Dental practices in ancient times
If you didn’t clean your teeth, you probably had your teeth pulled. This was the most common form of dentistry in ancient times – pulling teeth was easy to do, and it was effective at lessening tooth pain. There are a few reasons why it was popular to pull teeth in ancient times. For one, people didn’t understand the importance of oral hygiene. This meant that cavities were incredibly common – and often painful. There was also no way to fill in cavities at the time. This meant that tooth pain was likely to get worse and worse until you pulled the tooth.
What did people do before dentists?
If you had a toothache, you likely waited for it to go away on its own. If it didn’t, you might have had it pulled, or you might have had it removed with a pair of pliers. Brushing your teeth? Definitely not. There’s a good chance you didn’t even have teeth – or if you did, they were likely rotting out of your head. This is because people in ancient times didn’t have the right diet for good teeth. While it may seem like good oral hygiene practices are a modern invention, they’re actually as old as time itself. The first people to understand the importance of oral hygiene were ancient Egyptians. They had a high-sugar diet, and therefore needed to regularly clean their teeth.
Dentists become popular in the 1800s
While bloodletting was a popular practice in the Middle Ages, dentistry wasn’t as readily available. This was likely due to the fact that many dentists were barbers – and as we’ve discussed, barbers often didn’t specialize in teeth. Instead, dentistry was often done by doctors who had a general knowledge of teeth. These doctors were likely not specialists, and as a result, dental practices were not always effective at treating cavities and tooth pain.
Conclusion
The history of dentistry is a long and complicated one. In ancient times, bloodletting was a popular practice, but there was little thought given to teeth. It wasn’t until the 1800s that dentistry began to be seen as a specialized practice – and even then, it was largely reserved for the upper class. Thankfully, attitudes towards oral hygiene have changed since then. Now, people not only understand that teeth and gums are connected, but also how to maintain good dental health.full mouth dental implants in mumbai.
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