Q: Has the study of dentistry pretty much advanced as far as it can?
A: The science and art of dentistry has been moving forward steadily since 5000 B.C. when Sumerians thought "tooth worms" caused dental decay. Here are just some of the advances that occurred in the 20th century alone:
- 1905: a German chemist named Alfred Einhorn developed the formula for a local anesthetic called procain. It would later be marketed under the trade name Novocain.
- 1913: Alfred C. Fones opened the Fones Clinic for Dental Hygienists in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was the world's first oral hygiene school. Fones was the first to use the term "dental hygienist."
- 1938: the first toothbrush made with synthetic bristles - they were nylon - appeared on the market.
- 1945: the era of mass water fluoridation began when the cities of Grand Rapids,
Michigan and Newburgh, New York added sodium fluoride to their water systems.
- 1957: the high-speed, air-driven drill is introduced.
- 1958: a fully reclining dental chair comes on the market.
- 1997: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a laser for use in treating tooth decay.
And the research goes on. Talk with your dentist about new dental discoveries.
|
Top
