Would you believe that there is evidence that dentistry goes back as far as 12,000 BC? Archeologists have found an ancient infected tooth which contains tiny remnants of flint from an ancient dental cleaning with flint tools.
The first text we have is a Sumerian manuscript from 5000 B.C. that cites “tooth worms” as the source of dental decay. However, this theory wasn’t actually proved erroneous until the 1700s.
In France in the middle ages, men who called themselves barbers formed a guild. These men did cut hair, but they also they also treated teeth and even performed various medical procedures. Eventually, the guild evolved into two groups: barber-surgeons did the operations, while lay surgeons helped with more routine treatments.
In the 1700s, Pierre Fauchard, the Father of Modern Dentistry, authored the “The Surgeon Dentist: A Treatise on Teeth”, a premiere book outlining a comprehensive dental system. Gradually the dental profession began to multiply throughout the world, including the United States.
In 1840, the first dental college was founded in Baltimore, Maryland. A few decades later, Colgate began producing toothpaste and toothbrushes. However, daily oral hygiene wasn’t a common practice in America until after World War II when U.S. soldiers brought their dental health habits learned abroad back to their home towns.
Over the years, dentistry has become more convenient and of a higher quality than ever before. Do your teeth need some help? Just call Clearpoint Dentistry in Houston, Texas at 281-487-2400 to set up an appointment with Dr. Lupy Gonzalez.