There is no doubt that dentistry has (more or less) quickly evolved from a stone-age practice, to something on par with the most technologically advanced medical procedures. You might be surprised to find that for thousands of years, although general doctors and physicians existed in human culture, a real dental practice didn’t come into play until less than 175 years ago.
The Father of Modern Dentistry, Pierre Fauchard, started the first dental college in 1840. He was the first person to publish work suggesting that there was a correlation between sugar and cavities. Before this time, any dental work in the western world was generally performed by your family doctor or even your barber! Dental care was little more than extracting troublesome teeth with no real thought put into cause or care.
Where We Are Today
It wasn’t until recent years that dental practices have moved from traditional film-based x-rays into the modern age of high-tech digital x-rays. Digital x-rays are now widely available and make life much easier for dentists and patients alike. A digital image is much more reliable, easier, and faster to develop than traditional film.
Not only can these x-rays be used to show the alignment of teeth, but also to look for cavities. Another way that dentists are able to search for cavities and decay is the laser. Lasers are now being widely used in modern medicine. Dentists can now probe your mouth with a high-tech laser to search for decay and cavities before they become too much of a problem.
Beyond these two simple advancements, there has been extensive advancements all over dentistry including
sedation dentistry. Sedation, and the subsequent procedures have been made easier by the use of lasers in place of scalpels as well. You are in better hands today when it comes to dental care than ever before!