Ancient Egypt (3700–1550 BC)
- One of the earliest proofs of dentistry found in the Ebers Papyrus
- Included descriptions of:
- tooth pain
- gingival diseases
- oral treatment methods
- Egyptians used:
- herbal remedies
- primitive dental instruments
- tooth extraction methods
Ancient China (~2700 BC)
- Ancient Chinese medicine described:
- oral diseases
- cleft lip treatment
- gingival inflammation
- Acupuncture and herbal medicine commonly used
Ancient Greece and Rome
- Hippocrates (460–377 BC)
- Greek physician known as the “Father of Medicine”
- Introduced scientific approach to disease instead of superstition
Created the Hippocratic Oath
- ethical principles for doctors and healthcare professionals
- Aristotle (384–322 BC)
- Described oral diseases and gingivitis
Dentistry during ancient times was not yet an independent profession.
Middle Ages
- Claudius Galen (130–200 AD)
- Studied anatomy and described nerves in teeth
- Avicenna / Ibn Sina (980–1037)
- Persian physician
- Author of “The Canon of Medicine”
- Influenced medical education for centuries
- Abulcasis (936–1013)
- Arabian surgeon
- Described:
- tartar removal
- extraction techniques
- oral surgical procedures
Renaissance
- Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564)
- Founder of modern anatomy
- Improved knowledge of oral anatomy and occlusion
- Ambroise Paré (1510–1590)
- Developed surgical and prosthetic methods