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Sammi Urban

Mrs. Corbett

Period 7 AP Lit/Comp

11/17/11

Advancement of Dentistry

Development in the field of dental hygiene has greatly improved and evolution of

the dental profession has conquered new heights since the 18th

century. The ADA defines

dentistry as “the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment (nonsurgical, surgical

or related procedures) of disease, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity,

maxillofacial area and/or the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the

human body” (“ADA Definition of Dentistry”). In the world of dentistry today there have

been many innovations with advancements in ethnic diversities, inventions, dental health,

and oral disorders and diseases.

The dental industry has broadened their acceptance for females in the work place.

Before the 1860’s there were not any liscenced female dentists, but today, according to

the ADA Survey Center, 83% of dentists are males and 17% are female in the United

States. “In time, she came to be known by what sounded like a translated Native

American name – ‘the woman who pulls teeth’” (Roberts). Lucy Hobbs Taylor also

known as “the woman who pulls teeth,” was the first liscenced female dentist, and she

earned her degree in 1866. Dr. Taylor paved the way for advances in the equality for

woman and made it possible for woman to establish a successful dental practice. “At this

time Gray became the first Black woman in America to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery

Degree. She returned to Cincinnati where she established a very successful private

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practice” (“Ida Gray Nelson”). In 1890, Gray was the first Black African American to

become a dentist, and even a woman. This was a great achievement by both the African

American and female community alike. “As the 2000 census demonstrates, the U.S. is

becoming increasingly ethnically and racially diverse. Over time the U.S. has both

successfully and unsuccessfully navigated excepting the differing cultures, religions,

ethnicities, and values within its society” (“Cultural Competency Curricular”). Achieving

ethnic and racial diversities is a very important advancement compared the modern 19th

century and earlier societies. With the conforming society brings about more ideas and

great minds working together to create a much more advanced dental network. This vast

range of ethnicities and people brings about great minds thinking together to create new

inventions for the future.

New inventions have evolved and advanced dentistry into a new era. One new

invention of the 20th century is teeth whitening systems, which help cover up stains and

provide a brighter healthier looking smile. “Dentists are advising to stay away from all

those things that spoil our white teeth. ‘Dentists’ call them chromogenic agents, and they

include medications (especially tetracycline), coffee, tea, tobacco (smoking or chewing)

and red wine” (Marples). There are at home whitening systems such as crest white strips,

but whitening can also be done professionally at the dentist office and have the

BriteSmile Professionally Teeth Whitening treatment which provides a brighter longer

lasting whitening treatment. Another cosmetic dental invention includes braces; “in 1997,

Chishti and Wirth applied 3-D computer imaging graphics to the field of orthodontics and

created Align Technologies and the Invisalining method” (Der Zahnbrecher von Gerard

Honthorst). Before the 1990’s braces were metal brackets that were glued onto one’s

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teeth, and even though that method is still used today, Invisaline is much more desirable.

After its name, Invisaline is just a clear plastic container that fits over the teeth and is

hardly noticed making a great invention for a smoother transition into a straighter smile.

“Ultrasonic dental cleaning is now being used to remove dental tartar faster and more

thoroughly, without the uncomfortable scraping associated with a deep cleaning” (Lynn).

This new instrument called the Cavitron makes for a much more conferrable and

effective cleaning; it flushes away dental plaque and tartar built up around the gum line.

The Cavitron is very beneficial to both dentists as well as patients, giving the patient the

incentive to be more willing to getting their teeth cleaned. “In 1896 American dentist

Charles Edmund Kells introduced X-ray technology in dentistry and thereby ushered in

an era of accurate diagnosis of dental ailments” (“dentistry”). X-rays in dentistry provide

for a more accurate and deeper looking into the teeth to diagnose and treat a wider variety

of conditions such as: hidden tooth decay; tooth abscess, cyst or tumor, extra teeth, as

well as conditions of dental fillings, tooth crowns, dental bridges and root canals. X-rays

are probably one of the most vital and important inventions to date in dentistry; pretty

much every time a patient goes in for a check up they need one. This shows the great

advancements that the X-ray provides for the dentist to make more accurate decisions.

With the help of all these inventions advancements in dental hygiene have also been

made.

Much advancement has been made in the respects of maintaining happy, healthy

looking teeth. “Taking good care of one’s teeth is one of the smartest investments a

person can make in their health, helping to ensure that the teeth will remain strong,

healthy, and white for a life time (“UXL Complete Health Resource” p.43). Up until the

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20th

century there was little attention put on patients to maintaining a healthy oral

lifestyle. Today, dentists have perfected the techniques in how to keep cleanly smile and

dental health; dentists recommend brushing at least two times a day and flossing

everyday. By doing this, it will keep not only the visual aspects of the teeth and mouth

looking healthy, but as well as preventing the body from getting infected from bacteria

entering through the mouth, cavities, and tooth decay. “Following years of research,

McKay and others were able to show that ‘total absence of decay’ was due to the

presence in the drinking water of high amounts of naturally occurring fluoride, which

protects the teeth for decay” (“dentistry”). Based on the research on the benefits of

fluoride, dentists have made advancements in the attempt of preventing tooth decay.

Since dentists started using fluoridation, fluoride treatments, on patients, dental cavities

in children have decreased by more than 50 percent. Although, even with pristine dental

health there are some dental problems that can be prevented, and in other cases cannot be

prevented.

There are many different types of diseases and disorders that can form in the

mouth. One very common disorder is Enamel Hypoplasia, and there are different types

of treatment options, but it depends on the severity of the particular tooth and the

symptoms allied with it. One of the most traditional treatments is bonding a tooth colored

material to the tooth which protects it from further wear and sensitivity” (“Enamel

Hypoplasia: Causes”). Enamel Hypoplasia is a condition that discolors the tooth as well

as thins the enamel on the tooth causing it to become very sensitive and break down.

Dentists have made advancements in creating toothpastes to help with this condition that

help rebuild and conserve enamel on the tooth, as well as whitening procedures to help

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reduce the visible aspects of discoloration caused by Enamel Hypoplasia. Another

common disease that dentists see is Gingivitis. “Gingivitis is a form of periodontal

disease. Periodontal disease involves inflammation and infection that destroys the tissues

that support the teeth, including the gums, the periodontal ligaments, and the tooth

sockets (alveolar bone)” (Rosenberg and Zieve). This disease is caused by poor dental

hygiene, and dentists have made much advancement in preventing this disease by

educating patients on how to better take care of their teeth. In earlier years, teeth would

rot away from poor dental hygiene, but with improvements in knowledge as well as

technological innovations about Gingivitis, it is now possible as well as simple to cure

this disease. With the discovery of fluoride treatments helping prevent tooth decay,

gingivitis is much less common as well as many other oral diseases such as cavities.

There is no way to “cure” a cavity, but to suppress the painful irritations caused by them,

fillings are required. Research has advanced the cavity filling techniques and has made

the process of filling a cavity much less painful and time consuming. Dental amalgam is

one of the newest and most commonly used filling technique and it is a “self-hardening

mixture of silver-tin-copper alloy power and liquid mercury. It is often used as a filling

material and replacement for broken teeth (“Dental Fillings”). With advancements in

filling techniques the cavities hold on better to the teeth as well as don’t break down and

last longer. Cavities are a big problem, but with the help of dentists educating patients

more, it is helping to prevent from peopling developing this disease.

The practice of dentistry has existed from thousands of years. It has evolved into a

very technologically advanced career. New discoveries such as fluoride treatment,

whitening, fillings, x-rays, common dental hygiene, as well as advancement in the field

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of broadening the ethnical acceptance into the practice. Within the last 150 years is where

the most activity regarding inventions and research has taken place in the United States.

The development of the scientific foundation has evolved in the latter part of the 19th

century driven by experiments to discover and invent new techniques as well as

inventions. The 20th

and 21st century is known as the empirical scientific evolution of

America’s dental advancements. The most common advancements include acceptance in

ethnic diversities starting in the 19th

century. Inventions to assist in improving dental

health as well as to cure oral disorders and diseases.

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Work Cited

“ADA Definition of Dentistry.” American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial

Surgeons. American Dental Association House of Delegates, 2 June 2003. Web.

16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.centreoms.com/admin/storage/news/

ADA%20Definition%20of%20OMS%20and%20Dentisry.pdf>.

“Cultural Competency Curricular Guidelines For Medical and/or Dental Schools.”

ADDM. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.amsafoundation.org/pdf/

CulturalCompCurriculum.pdf>.

“Dental Fillings.” Mama’s Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.mamashealth.com/dental/cfillings.asp>.

“dentistry.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition.

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2011.Web.17Oct.2011.

<http://www.school.eb.com/eb/article-274273>.

Der Zahnbrecher von Gerard Honthorst. “A Brief History of Braces.” Archwired. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.archwired.com/HistoryofOrtho.htm>.

“Enamal Hypoplasia: Causes and Treatment Options.” uiowa.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 16

Nov. 2011. <http://www.uiowa.edu/~c090247/ENAMEL_HYPOPLASIA.pdf>.

“The Gender Shift, the demographics of women in dentistry. What impact will it have?”

In A Spirit of Caring. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.spiritofcaring.com/public/488.cfm>.

“Ida Gray Nelson, a First in Black Dentistry!” African American Registry. N.p., n.d.

Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/ida-gray-

nelson-first-black-dentistry>.

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Lynn, Margot. “10 New Technologies That Are Changing Dentistry.” SooperArticles.

N.p., 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-

fitness-articles/dental-care-articles/10-new-technologies-changing-dentistry-

38691.html>.

Marples, Gareth. “The History of Teeth Whitening – Smiles Through the Miles.”

TheHistoryOf.net. N.p., 11 Sept. 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.thehistoryof.net/the-history-of-teeth-whitening.html>.

Roberts, Tod. “Lucy Hobbs Taylor, First 1833-1910: A Lawrence Kansas Pioneer in the

History of Women in Dentistry.” Watkins Community Museum. Douglas County

Historical Society, 6 May 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://home.comcast.net/

~thorsdag/LucyHobbsTaylor.html>.

Rosenberg, Jack D, and David Zieve. “Gingivitis.” PubMed Health. N.p., 22 Feb. 2010.

Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/

PMH0002051/>.

UXL Complete Health Resource. Ed. Caroline M. Levchuck, Allison McNeill, Rob

Nagel, David Newton, Betz Des Chenes, Michele Drohan, et al. Vol. 3: Vol.1:

U*X*L Complete Health Resource Healthy Living. Detroit: UXL, 2001. p31-56.