{"id":3320,"date":"2021-05-03T10:00:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T10:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/?p=3320"},"modified":"2024-03-07T01:23:17","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T01:23:17","slug":"how-medieval-dental-practices-paved-the-way-for-modern-dentistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedentalexpress.com\/dental-blog\/how-medieval-dental-practices-paved-the-way-for-modern-dentistry\/","title":{"rendered":"How Medieval Dental Practices Paved the Way for Modern Dentistry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discover what dentistry was like in medieval times and how it influenced modern dentistry today<\/span><\/h1>\n

If your curiosity about medieval dental practices brought you here, then get ready to develop a strong appreciation for how dentistry is today.<\/span><\/p>\n

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All the way back in 376AD, the fall of the Roman Empire marked the beginning of medieval dentistry, changing the field forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, during the Middle Ages, dentistry wasn\u2019t its own profession.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Dental treatments were performed by barbers or general physicians, not dentists.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So, if you happened to need a haircut and multiple tooth extractions<\/a> at the same time, you could get them both taken care of under one roof!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thankfully, things are much different now…but we wouldn\u2019t be where we are today without the trial and error our ancestors endured, and all the crazy ideas they often cooked up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The progression of dental practices in medieval times gave birth to many odd tools and techniques, but they all greatly contributed to the development of modern treatments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Let’s take a look at a few of the big players in the early world of dentistry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Simple = Better<\/span><\/h1>\n

Rhazes (868-932 A.D.) was a Persian doctor who was the first to mention nerve repair in 900 AD.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Despite his ideology that cautioned against the use of pharmaceutical drugs as treatment, he was the first surgeon to use <\/span>opium<\/a><\/strong> as an anesthetic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The <\/span><\/i>Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine<\/i><\/a><\/strong> quotes Rhazes, claiming: <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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\u201cIf the physician is able to treat with nutrients, not medication, then he has succeeded. If, however, he must use medication, then it should be <\/span><\/i>simple remedies<\/i><\/a><\/strong> and not compound ones.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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And most dentists today, as well as the general public, would agree with this idea. It\u2019s safe to say that Rhazes was a little ahead of his time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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One of his crucial contributions to dentistry was his use of cement for filling cavities, which he made from a mixture of alum and mastic.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Today, fillings are made of <\/span>composite resin<\/a><\/strong>, and can even be made into tooth colored fillings front teeth<\/a>!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s incredible how far technology has come since then, and there\u2019s no doubt that we have people like Rhazes to thank for their inspiration and creativity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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An Ancient Theory About Cavities<\/span><\/h1>\n

After Rhazes, another Persian physician and writer, Avicenna (980 A.D. 1037 A.D.), entered the world of medieval dentistry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Like Rhazes, Avicenna also had a famous book published that showcased his research.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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He wrote <\/span>The Canon of Medicine<\/strong><\/span><\/i><\/a>, a medical encyclopedia that became a standard medical text at many universities until 1650.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Among his other achievements was the discovery that one of the reasons our upper molars have multiple roots is because they\u2019re suspended against gravity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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On the less accurate side of things, he believed in many odd remedies for removing tartar from teeth \u2014 such as salt, burnt snail shells, burnt gypsum, and honey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Not the best formula for a mouthwash.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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But the fun doesn\u2019t stop there…<\/span><\/p>\n

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Avicenna, along with many others during the medieval ages, believed that cavities were caused by worms that lived inside the gums.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Luckily, since then, this theory has been debunked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Of course, now we know there are many causes for cavities (that have nothing to do with worms), and plenty of ways to <\/span>prevent them.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Middle Ages’ Top Surgeon<\/span><\/h1>\n

Albucasis (936-1013 A.D.) was not only a physician like Rhazes and Avicenna, but he was also a surgeon and a chemist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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He was considered to be the greatest surgeon of the medieval period.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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He\u2019s remembered for his book <\/span>Al\u00ad-Tasrif<\/span><\/i>, an encyclopedia on medicine and surgery, and is often referred to as the <\/span>“father of modern surgery.\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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He pioneered several instruments that would serve as a foundation for the creation of the modern tools we use today, including:<\/span><\/p>\n

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