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Introduction to

The Dental Profession

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History of Dentistry• Early times

– Herodotus– Hesi-Re– Hippocrates

• Book On Affections• Oath of Hippocrates

– Aristotle • Oral hygiene

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• Later progress– Guy de Chauliac

• Surgeon from France• Rules for oral hygiene

– Leonardo da Vinci• First to distinguish between molars and

premolars

History of Dentistry

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History of Dentistry

• Later progress– Pierre Fauchard

• Founder of modern dentistry• Rejected idea of tooth worm• Treated caries and diseased gingiva

– Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen• Discovered x-rays

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Progress of Dentistry in the United States

• Robert Woofendale and John Baker– First to advertise dental services

• John Greenwood– George Washington’s favorite dentist– Made George Washington’s dental

prosthesis

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Progress of Dentistry in the United States

• Paul Revere – Created artificial teeth and surgical

instruments• Josiah Flagg

– Skilled surgeon– Constructed the dental chair

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Progress of Dentistry in the United States

• James B. Morrison– Created first dental engine with handpiece,

motor, and foot treadle

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Education and Organized Dentistry

• Horace H. Hayden– Writer and lecturer on dental topics

• Chapin A. Harris– Created and contributed to library of dental

literature

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Education and Organized Dentistry

• Dr. Greene Vardiman Black– “Grand old man of dentistry”– Invented machines and instruments used

in dentistry

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Education and Organized Dentistry

• Lucy Beaman Hobbs• Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman• Ida Gray

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• American Dental Association (ADA)– Horace Hayden and Chapin Harris organized

this nationwide association of dentists– American Journal of Dental Science– Today, each state has a local or regional ADA

branch office

Education and Organized Dentistry

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The Dental Team

• Dentists• Dental hygienists• Dental laboratory technicians• Dental assistants• Support staff

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Dentists• Requirements

– Undergraduate education– Graduation from a dental school approved

by the ADA, Commission on Dental Accreditation

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Dentists

• Education– Three to four years of undergraduate work– Four years of dental school

• Five required at Harvard University

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Dental Specialties

• Dental public health– Specialty concerned with the prevention of

dental disease– Public health dentist works with the

community to promote dental health

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Dental Specialties

• Endodontics– Specialty concerned with the pathology

and morphology of the dental pulp and surrounding tissues due to injury and disease

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Dental Specialties

• Oral and maxillofacial pathology– Specialty concerned with the diagnosis and

nature of the diseases that affect the oral cavity

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Dental Specialties

• Oral and maxillofacial radiology– Images and data produced by all

modalities of radiant energy • For diagnosing and management of disorders

of the oral and maxillofacial region

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Dental Specialties

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery– Specialty concerned with the diagnosis and

surgical treatment of the oral and maxillofacial region due to injury, disease, and defects

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Dental Specialties

• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics– Specialty concerned with the diagnosis,

supervision, guidance, and correction of the malocclusion in the dentofacial structures

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Dental Specialties

• Pediatric dentistry– Specialty concerned with the prevention of

oral disease and the diagnosis and treatment of oral care in children• From birth through adolescence

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Dental Specialties

• Periodontics– Specialty concerned with the diagnosis and

treatment of the diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the tooth

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Dental Specialties

• Prosthodontics– Specialty concerned with the diagnosis,

restoration, and maintenance of oral functions

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Dental Hygienists

• Dr. Alfred Civilon Fones – Developed first school of dental hygiene in

1913• American Dental Hygienists’ Association

(ADHA)

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Dental Laboratory Technicians• Many are graduates of a two-year ADA-

accredited dental laboratory technician program

• Formal education is not required

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Dental Laboratory Technicians• Examination to become certified dental

technicians (CDTs)• American Dental Laboratory Technician

Association (ADLTA)

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Dental Assistants

• Dr. C. Edmund Kells – Hired a “Lady Assistant” to be “quick, quiet,

gentle, and attentive”– “Ladies in Attendance”

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• Dental Assisting National Board (DANB)• Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)• Dental receptionists• American Dental Assistants Association

(ADAA)

Dental Assistants

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• Juliette Southard– Founder and first president of the American

Dental Assistants Association

Dental Assistants