Advancements in dental technology have made routine teeth cleanings and other general dentistry procedures virtually painless, but it hasn’t always been that way. According to the American Dental Association, the earliest known reference to a dental practitioner is from 2600 BC, but dentists didn’t start using ether anesthesia until 1846, and Novocain didn’t come around until 1905.

Both Aristotle and Hippocrates wrote about dentistry around 500 BC, and as early as 166 AD, the Etruscans were using fixed bridgework and gold crowns to restore teeth. Later, during the Middle Ages, barbers were actually the ones who performed dental work. In 1210, a French Guild of Barbers was established, and barber-surgeons performed basic procedures like tooth extractions in addition to shaving.

The first book devoted to dentistry was published a few hundred years later, in 1530, in Germany. It was written for barber-surgeons and covered everything from drilling teeth to inserting gold fillings. More books soon followed, and in 1723, Pierre Fauchard, who is considered the Father of Modern Dentistry, published The Surgeon Dentist, or Treatise on the Teeth.

Over the next three centuries, gradual advancements and inventions made dentistry what it is today. For example, Josiah Flagg designed the first chair for dental patients in 1790, and James Snell perfected it in 1832. Other big dentistry inventions include the cohesive gold foil method for filling cavities in 1855, the collapsible metal toothpaste tube in the 1880s, the X-ray in 1895, the first dental screw implant in 1937, and the first nylon toothbrush in 1938.

When it comes to quality dental care, the 21^st century is clearly the place to be. If you’re looking for a dentist that stays up-to-date on all the latest advancements in dental technology, turn to C.R. Sfeir D.D.S., General Dentistry in Lorain, OH. Check out the office online to explore the general dentistry services they offer, and call (440) 960-5200 to make an appointment today.