Dental trivias!! "The First"!! A few Historical Beginnings!!
DentalProfessional
Dental floss is an ancient invention. Researchers have found dental
floss and toothpick grooves in the teeth of prehistoric humans. Levi
Spear Parmly (1790-1859), a New Orleans dentist is credited as being
the inventor of modern dental floss (or maybe the term re-inventor
would be more accurate). Parmly promoted teeth flossing with a piece of
silk thread in 1815.
In 1882, the Codman and Shurtleft Company of Randolph, Massachusetts
started to mass-produce unwaxed silk floss for commercial home use. The
Johnson and Johnson Company of New Brunswick, New Jersey were the first
to patent dental floss in 1898. Dr. Charles C. Bass developed nylon
floss as a replacement for silk floss during WW II. Dr. Bass was also
responsible for making teeth flossing an important part of dental
hygiene.
Dentist's Chair
In 1848, Waldo Hanchett patented the dental chair.
Dentist's Drill
On January 26, 1875, George Green patented the first electric dental
drill.
False Teeth
False teeth date back as far as 700 BC. The Etruscans designed false
teeth out of ivory and bone that were secured into the mouth by gold
bridgework.
First Dental Bridge
According to Marshall Joseph Becker in "The Valsiarosa Gold Dental
Appliance," from ETRUSCAN STUDIES: JOURNAL OF THE ETRUSCAN FOUNDATION.
VOLUME 6, 1999, the first use of dental appliances or bridges comes
from the Etruscans, whose masterful gold workers made gold dental
bridges for women so they could show off their wealth. Becker says the
Etruscans were the first to use dental bridges and retention bands over
2600 years ago. Some Etruscan women would have their incisors removed
(a process called "tooth ablation" or evulsion) so they could be fitted
with the gold prosthetics.