Dentistry is the the profession concerned with the prevention and treatment of oral disease, including diseases of the teeth and supporting structures and diseases of the soft tissues of the mouth. Dentistry encompasses the treatment and correction of malformation of the jaws, misalignment of the teeth as well as birth anomalies of the oral cavity.
Dentistry includes many specialties and subspecialties, including orthodontics and dental orthopedics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral and maxillofacial pathology, endodontics, public health dentistry, oral and maxillofacial radiology among others.
It is also one of the oldest medical professions, dating back roughly to 7000 B.C. (Indus Valley Civilization). However, it wasn’t until 5000 B.C. that descriptions related to dentistry and tooth decay were available. At the time, a Sumerian text described “tooth worms” as the cause of dental decay, an idea that wasn’t actually proven wrong until the 1700s.
Archeology studies show that tooth decay was low in pre-agricultural societies. An infected tooth from Italy partially cleaned with flint tools, between 13,820 and 14,160 years old, represents the one of the oldest known examples of ancient dentistry. The Indus Valley Civilization has yielded evidence of dentistry being practised as far back as 7000 BC. The reconstruction of this ancient form of dentistry showed that the methods used were reliable and effective. The earliest dental filling was made of beeswax and was discovered in Slovenia. It dates from 6500 years ago.
Recipes for the treatment of toothache, infections and loose teeth are spread throughout many important papyruses of Ancient Egypt. The Edwin Smith Papyrus (written 17th century BC, but which may reflect previous manuscripts from as early as 3000 BC) discusses the treatment of dislocated and fractured jaw.
Examination of the remains of some ancient Egyptians and Greco-Romans reveals early attempts at dental prosthetics.
Some say the first use of dental appliances or bridges comes from the Etruscans from as early as 700 BC. In ancient Egypt, Hesi-Re is the first named 'dentist' (greatest of the teeth). The Egyptians bound replacement teeth together with gold wire.
Roman medical writer Cornelius Celsus wrote extensively of oral diseases as well as dental treatments such as narcotic-containing emollients and astringents. The earliest dental amalgams were first documented in a Tang Dynasty medical text written by the Chinese physician Su Kung in 659, and appeared in Germany in 1528.
In ancient Greece it was Hippocrates and Aristotle who are among the first to write about dentistry. It wasn’t until 1530 that the first book entirely devoted to dentistry was published.
In the 1700s dentistry had become a more defined profession. In 1723, Pierre Fauchard published his influential book “The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise on Teeth”. This book defined a comprehensive system for caring for and treating teeth for the first time in medical history. Fauchard was also the first to introduce the idea of dental fillings and the use of dental prosthesis. He was the scientist to identify that acids from sugar is the leading reason for tooth decay.
Dental extractions have been used to treat a variety of illnesses. During the Middle Ages and throughout the 19th century, dentistry was not a profession in itself, and often dental procedures were performed by barbers or general physicians.
In 14th century Guy de Chauliac invented the dental pelican. It was used for dental extractions up until late 18th century. The pelican was replaced by a dental key, and after that the modern forceps in the 20th century.
Препоръчани клиники за такъв тип заболявания
