Some Interesting Tidbits About The History of Dental Care

In ancient Rome, Barbers were the very first dentists. They performed haircuts, shaving, the extraction of diseased teeth, and other surgeries from the comfort of the barber’s chair. The history of dental care has evolved quite drastically since then, and now, dentists perform dental care and leave the haircuts to the barber.

The History of Dental Care: The First Dental Floss

Anthropological evidence shows that ancient man showed a concern for his teeth, or at least a concern for the discomfort that food lodged between the teeth can cause. Grooves on the teeth of ancient man shows that dental picks and dental floss were used even in antiquity.

While we all know and love the waxed floss manufactured by many companies today, the first to do so was Johnson and Johnson. Before this, there was nylon thread, and before that, floss was manufactured from silk.

The First Toothpaste: History of Dental Care

Historians believe that toothpaste was used in China as far back as 500 BC, but it did not reach the rest of the world until the 1800s. The first toothpastes used contained regular soap to help cleanse the teeth. A century later, the unpleasant tasting soap was replaced by emollients and abrasives like baking soda to help scrub teeth clean without evoking a gag reflex.

You may notice that when you go to the dentist, you see Colgate. What you may not be aware of is they were the first manufacturer of what we know our toothpaste to be now – and of course, are still one of the largest producers.

The History of Dental Care: False Teeth

While a good set of artificial choppers is still hard to come by these days, historians say that artificial sets of teeth were carved from animal bones as early as 700 BC! We no longer have to chew with bones borrowed from animals; today’s false teeth are made from modern man-made materials that hold up well to years of munching and crunching.

The history of dental care perhaps has sordid stories of mystery and intrigue hidden among its musty pages, but since this really is a family dentistry blog, we’ll stick to the squeaky clean version. After all, we wouldn’t desire to be threatened with getting our collective mouths washed out with soap (or even soap-based toothpaste!). Remember, brush and floss well and often.