Dentistry in times of old
Compared to dentistry thousands of years ago, today’s dental visits are more like going to a spa. Now you have music, tv and stacks of magazines while you wait in a dental clinic. Egyptians for example rushed to a dentist wriggling in pain. For Egyptians, ancient Greeks, or Etruscans a dental visit was out of acute necessity, rather than as a preventative care. A cavity in ancient times meant living in agony and pain. While dental procedures have improved drastically, it is worth appreciating the olden times of dentistry when they accomplished lots with practically no tools.
Egyptian Dentistry
Egyptians were contented with their knowledge about the human body. Mummifying bodies required them to understand the basic human anatomy. Doctors wrote manuals on surgical procedures and basic treatments. The first reference of dentistry is found in such manuscripts. These were as old as the pyramids.
The Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus, written before 3000 B.C. gives instructions on how to heal and treat wounds in the mouth. There is evidence that minor dental work was performed. Slowly over time this would grow to be more complicated procedures. The earliest signs of dental surgery were between 3000 and 2500 B.C. Involved drilling out cavities or pulling teeth. To alleviate pain,Egyptians by 1550 B.C had prescriptions for dental pain and injuries. Yet, there has never been any evidence in mummies or writings that mechanical or false teeth were ever used. It has surprised researches that such intelligent people didn’t have artificial teeth in place of missing front teeth.
Etruscan Dentistry
Etruscan people is believed to have taken dental work to an artistic level for the first time. They were incredibly intelligent people who were always striving to increase their knowledge. They strived for luxury, and they continued to test boundaries in the medical field. They were also adventurous to travel across sea to trade with other civilisations. Using whatever knowledge they acquired in dentistry during their travel, they began to experiment with filling gold teeth. In one preserved mouth, gold bands were wrapped around the teeth and cemented by soldering. Human as well as animal teeth were used as artificial teeth and held in place by gold bands. Performed around 700 B.C this is the first time in history a form of prosthetics was ever used in the mouth.
Greek Dentistry
In the process of studying and researching mummies, archeologists have learned amazing information on ancient dentistry. One mummy was found with many devastating dental problems. It is hard to imagine that cavities could kill you, but this mummy died from a sinus infection caused from a life of painful cavities. This mummy was a young man somewhere in his twenties. Apparently Greek dentists struggled to stop and cure his cavities. Linen soaked in medicine was packed in the holes in his teeth in an attempt to relieve the pain and infection. Cloth in the tooth prevented food from worsening the infection. Greeks prided themselves in their strength and ability to handle pain. So, when cavities were found in the teeth, Greeks would rather suffer the pain, than have the tooth pulled. Losing a tooth would be seen as a weakness.
Dentistry has evolved over time from a rather rudimentary practice to a technologically advanced industry. Regular preventative care such as teeth cleanings help people avoid some of the serious problems.