Gardens Dental Centre - Family Dentist in Richmond, London

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Home / Other / A Tooth in the Head is worth 10 on a plate

A Tooth in the Head is worth 10 on a plate

Previous blogs have focused on how dentistry will change in the future. By way of balance it is high time to review the past and see how the industry has evolved over the past 500 years.

A great place to start is an excellent exhibition currently on in the Wellcome Foundation in central London, called appropriately Teeth!

a tooth in the head

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re not sure quite what our patients or anyone walking past the practice would think of if they saw this style of window display!

exhibition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This showcases smart ivory handled tools, plates for casting dentures as well as spring mounted denture sets to hold them in the mouth. Comfortingly the skills of the dentist are also boldly highlighted!

Meanwhile back at our dental history timeline here are some key milestones in the evolution of the dental profession…

 

5000BC

Early texts by the Ancient Sumerians suggest that tooth decay is caused by tooth worms

tooth decay

 

 

 

 

2600 BC

The first known dental practitioner appears on the scene in Egypt named Hasy-Re.

Egypt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

700 AD

Whilst Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Hippocrates documented their dental travails in 500 to 300BC, the next major dental breakthrough took place in 700AD when Chinese medical text described the use of a silver paste which alleviated pain. This is incredibly similar to the amalgams we use in modern dentistry.

greek

 

 

 

 

 

 

In medieval times the barber was tasked with providing dental services and extracting teeth were part of their job description probably in a chair like this!

 

The headrest alone is fearsome enough, bit of a throw- back or should that be forward to the film… The Marathon Man!

chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1790

Fast forward to 1790 when the first rotating drill was developed by John Greenwood. An adaptation of a foot treadle spinning wheel

drill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1832

Another milestone was reached in 1832 when James Snell invented the first reclining dental chair. Something now quite popular on beaches and picnic sites!

james snell dental chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucy Beaman Hobbs

 

It is widely believed that Lucy was the first female dentist to graduate from the Ohio college dental school in 1866.

Lucy Beaman Hobbs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A major breakthrough in pain relief was made in 1905

The breakthrough was made when Alfred Einhorn, a German chemist invented the local anaesthetic Procain (which is now marketed as Novocain)

Alfred Einhorn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1938

Just before the outbreak of World War 2 in 1938, dental hygiene was significantly enhanced through the development of the first Nylon bristle toothbrush.

toothbrush

 

 

 

 

 

 

1939

The nylon bristle toothbrush was closely followed by the first electric toothbrush developed in 1939, however, these were not formally marketed until 1954 due to some obvious teething problems!

first electric toothbrush

 

 

 

 

 

 

1955

In 1955 Proctor and Gamble launched the first fluoride-based toothpaste Crest. This followed many years of research and controversy culminating in the addition of fluoride to drinking water.

first toothpaste

 

 

 

 

 

Over the past 60 years the world of dentistry has been significantly enhanced through research into patient comfort care, pain relief and pioneering work in prosthetics and prevention.

For a view of how the future will unfurl please check out our previous blog on this subject

For general enquiries or emergencies please contact us on 020 8940 5071

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Site last updated: 07/07/22

Gardens Dental Centre, Kew

7 Royal Parade, Kew Gardens, Richmond, TW9 3QD
Tel: Call us on 020-8940-5071
Email: info@gardensdentalcentre.com

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Opening Times

Monday – Friday 8.00am – 5.15pm *
Alternate Saturday’s 9.00am – 3.30pm
Hygienist available 4-5 days a week
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Alt Sat

* Late night appointments are available up until 7.00pm on Thursdays by appointment only