The Glorious History of Dentistry!

By Arthur Kezian

In Dr. Kezians opinion, today’s scientific advancements have given a new life to dentistry; a life, that has astonished everyone. A lot of things have been changed since the 17^th century, but some things are still the same. For example – no one liked dental problems and no one likes them today either. No one liked going to a surgeon and many still do not like to go. In the timespan of the 17^th to 19^th century, there was no such thing as a specialty dentist. There was no treatment for a dental infection. Then many big changes and advancements came in a time when our grandparents were kids and those changes created a base for today’s astonishing dentistry. In honor of our grandparents and people who gave a new life to dentistry, we are eager to tell you some interesting points about the glorious history of dentistry.

The Dentistry of 17^th Century – 18^th century:

·         There was a time when ‘nearly nothing’ was known about how the body worked.

·         A barber surgeon used to be the dentist of that time. When people found themselves suffering from severe toothache, they used to go to a local barber surgeon. The surgeon then extracted the rotten tooth away from the mouth.

·         Often it also involved tying a string around the tooth.

·         People used to play a drum near the patient for distracting him/her. The drum used to get louder as extraction came closer.

·         For advertising themselves as tooth-pullers, those barber surgeons used to hang large rows of rotten teeth on the entrance of their shops.

The Dentistry of 19^th Century:

·         In the 19^th century, people had a better idea about how the body worked, including teeth.

·         This was the time when humans discovered more about the functionality of human body, which ultimately kept a base for medical science. Physicians started paying attention to dental needs.

·         Later in the same century, electricity came as a revolution to life and gave way to new advancements. This invention also gave a new standard for medical science and dentistry.

·         Many of the dental specialties of today emerged from this century. For example: Orthodontics (1901), Oral Surgery (1918), Periodontics (1918), Prosthodontics (1918), Pedodontics (1927) and Oral Pathology (1946).

·         Later in this century, dentistry emerged as a licensed profession.

The Dentistry of 20^th Century:

·         20^th century gave a totally new and height to dentistry. Fluoride Treatments came into existence.

·         Concept of oral-systematic health started developing. More professionals started paying attention towards dental problems which ultimately resulted in more dentists.

·         Penicillin discovery gave a new height to dentistry.

·         In this century people realized that the profession of dentistry is a safe career choice.

So, you can see that our grandparents grew up in a very fascinating time of dentistry. And advancement in dentistry has not yet stopped; it is continuously increasing in pace, because now there are several scientists all over the world who are doing research and making new iventions that are making dentistry easier and less invasive. We are very thankful to these scientists who work hard to make dentistry easier. There is no doubt that their inventions will send today’s dentistry to a new height and standard.  

Dr. Kezian has been one of the most trusted dentists for many years. He and his staff are witness to advancement that took place in the 20^th century. From the start of the 20^th century, Dr. Kezian and staff have satisfied their patients. So if you are suffering from any dental health issue, then feel free to meet them for a solution.

Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777 

-N.S.