If you’ve spent time with your parents or grandparents recently, you might have heard them talk about the “good ol’ days.” The stories are normally a nostalgic version of time gone by that always seem to be a reflection on what was once simpler or done better.
But have you ever thought about the “good ol’ days” of dentistry? We doubt that anyone would miss the dental practices of even 60 years ago! In fact, here at Josey Lane, we’re thankful every day for how far density has come and how technology ensures that our patients can experience pain–free appointments and treatments.
To really appreciate where we are today, it’s interesting to take a trip down memory lane and see where modern dentistry came from. You might be rethinking the “good ol’ days” after reading about early dental treatments!
Early dental practices
Dentistry hasn’t always been focused on specialty treatments backed by years of dedicated dental studies. In fact, dentist procedures used to be handled by your local barber. They early days of dentistry was focused on solving a problem the easiest way possible, and pulling a bad tooth wasn’t considered too difficult. Therefore, 150 years ago, you would go to the barber for a haircut and, while you were there, they could pull out your tooth.
Can you imagine your hairstylist taking care of both your hair and your teeth?
Even in ancient times like the Greeks and Romans, going to the dentist was considered to be a painful experience. It’s no wonder there are still so many people who fear the going to the dentist today. For the vast majority of history, the dentist—or barber—has been associated with extreme pain and procedures that were not backed by years of science and study.
Dentures
The first set of artificial teeth you probably heard about was the chompers on George Washington. Although legend has it that he had wooden teeth, he actually had the most technologically advanced set of dentures at the time, crafted from hippopotamus ivory.
While ivory dentures were popular in the 1700s, dentures themselves date back to 700 BC. The very first dentures were actually made out of human or animal teeth, and these remained popular until the 18th century. The increase in sugar consumption in Great Britain in the 1800s is what spurred a change in denture materials. Human teeth and ivory were susceptible to staining, so they fell out of fashion and porcelain dentures became the norm.
Fast forward to today and dentures are now made out of a hard resin that comes in a variety of denture types, including dental implants, removable dentures, and partial dentures. Modern dentures are the most comfortable they have ever been as well as the most durable. Replacing lost teeth has come a long way since using the teeth of deceased soldiers!
Tooth whitening
If you’re looking for an easy way to feel better about your smile, you might have considered teeth whitening at some point. This easy, cosmetic procedure can be done both professionally at the dentist’s office, or through over-the-counter whitening products at home.
However, this easy and painless procedure wasn’t always so easy and painless. The art of teeth-whitening is a technique that has been around in some form for centuries. The practice of teeth-whitening began around 4,000 years ago with the ancient Egyptians, who created a whitening paste using ground pumice stone mixed in wine vinegar. White teeth were a mark of beauty and a sign of wealth.
Ancient Romans, on the other hand, whitened their teeth using urine. The ammonia in the urine was the bleaching agent. Doesn’t sound too pleasant an experience, does it?
Finally, in the 17th century when barbers were caring for teeth, the practice came to filing down teeth and applying an acid that would whiten and brighten them. While the practice made teeth whiter for sure, it eroded tooth enamel and led to major decay.
Anesthesia
The first time anesthesia was used by a dentist was in the mid-1800s and rendered the patient completely unconscious for a tooth extraction. This would be overkill by today’s standards. Thankfully, as medicine developed, so did anesthetic options. You might find it shocking that cocaine was a popular local anesthetic through the late 1800s. You would not be shocked to learn, however, that is was quickly phased out since patients died at an alarming rate due to its toxicity!
In the 1940s, Novocain was introduced to the market and changed the course of dental anesthesia completely. During this same time period, IV sedation also became more popular in dentistry. Today, there is a wide range of anesthetics that can be used to decrease anxiety and pain during any dental procedure.
Emergency
Patient Forms
Contact Us