{"id":23327,"date":"2022-07-06T10:29:25","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T04:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/royalimplant.com\/blogs\/?p=23327"},"modified":"2025-11-27T16:35:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T11:05:32","slug":"what-did-people-do-before-dentists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/royalimplant.com\/blogs\/what-did-people-do-before-dentists\/","title":{"rendered":"What did people do before dentists?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think about it, dentists are a pretty recent invention. Sure, they\u2019ve been around for thousands of years (think Egyptian mummies), but your average Joe probably didn\u2019t have one back then. In fact, it wasn\u2019t until the 19th century that dental practices as we know them began to appear. With that in mind \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who were the first dentists?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first dentists were \u201cbarbers\u201d \u2013 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 \u2013 usually for a small fee. However, dental practices were still in their infancy in the 19th century. It wasn\u2019t until the 1880s that the American Dental Association was formed, and teeth-related practices were standardized.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Why is oral hygiene<\/a> so important?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no exaggeration to say that a person\u2019s 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\u2019t understand the connection between their teeth and the rest of their bodies, and therefore didn\u2019t make the effort to keep their teeth<\/a> clean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, it wasn\u2019t until 1901 that William B. Brush<\/a> \u2013 founder of the toothbrush company that still exists today \u2013 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 \u2013 a mouth-wide problem that can have serious consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dental practices in ancient times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you didn\u2019t clean your teeth, you probably had your teeth pulled. This was the most common form of dentistry in ancient times \u2013 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\u2019t understand the importance of oral hygiene. This meant that cavities were incredibly common \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What did people do before dentists?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you had a toothache, you likely waited for it to go away on its own. If it didn\u2019t, you might have had it pulled, or you might have had it removed with a pair of pliers. Brushing your teeth<\/a>? Definitely not. There\u2019s a good chance you didn\u2019t even have teeth \u2013 or if you did, they were likely rotting out of your head. This is because people in ancient times didn\u2019t have the right diet for good teeth. While it may seem like good oral hygiene practices are a modern invention, they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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