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The Origins Of Dentistry


 

Today, most people around the world a familiar with dentistry to some extent. It’s not something that we enjoy, but it is necessary. How did dentistry start though? In this article, we are going to be looking at how dentistry began.


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In the video, “The Painful History of Dentistry,” by HOW IT WAS, we learn that the ancient pagan practice of dealing with a toothache was to cast a spell. The first form of teeth filling is seen in ancient Egyptian society, where they filled their teeth with gold.

HOW IT WAS explains that during medieval times it was believed that tiny worms inside teeth were the cause of toothache. The solution for this problem was burning henbane seeds and inhaling the smoke.

These crazy beliefs and theories would persist until the 18th century when dentist Pierre Fauchard created many of the dental instruments that would be adapted into what we use today. Although society started to adapt to new tools, it wasn’t until 1875 that the first electrical drill was patented.

It’s clear that there have always been wild theories and practices revolving around our tooth pain and how to solve it. It’s interesting to learn about, but I’m just glad we have the dental practices we do today.

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