1. History of oral structures is known to begin with the most ancient civilization.
2. Tooth doctors were considered to be medical specialists since ancient times.
3. Dentistry is thought to be established as a separate branch over 5000 years ago.
4. The ancient Egyptians are considered to be the earliest civilized people in the world.
5. The ancient Romans were known to have made false teeth and even dentures from ivory.
VIII. Read and translate the text.
Text A. Some Facts from History of Dentistry
History of oral structures began with the most ancient civilizations. Tooth doctors were already considered to be medical specialists in that period. This means that dentistry was established as separate branch of medicine approximately 5000 years ago.
The ancient Egyptians are considered to be the earliest civilized people in the world. They made a serious study of the human body. However, the remains of ancient Egyptians show no signs of fillings and there is no firm evidence of attempts to replace missing teeth with false ones. The early tribes in Mexico and Peru used narcotic substances in the treatment of different disorders including dental diseases. They used gold and precious stones to decorate their teeth. One of the greatest Greek philosophers Aristotle made the earliest attempt to discuss the teeth from the purely scientific point of view. He had described human teeth and then compared them with the teeth of several animals. But Aristotle made a mistake he believed that men had 32 teeth and women only 28. This mistake was corrected only in the 16th century by doctor Andreas Vesalius. he also classified the teeth as incisors, canines and molars.
The Romans used a special powder for cleaning their teeth. They could also make false teeth and even removable dentures from ivory. During the Middle Ages these techniques were largely lost.
Books on general medicine often included sections on teeth but the first book devoted entirely to dentistry appeared only in the 16th century. A small booklet was published anonymously in Germany. The author discussed such topics as toothache, loose teeth and so on. It was a book for patients, not for professionals.
Eustachius (1520-1574), an Italian doctor, published the first book for dental professionals in 1563. It contained 30 chapters. He described the crowns of the teeth according to classes. Eustachius paid special attention to the dental pulp.
In the 19th century (in 1846) an American dentist Dr. Morton used nitrous oxide for pain relief during tooth extraction. He had made extensive prior experiments on animals and on himself. The first dental extraction under anesthetic (ether) in Great Britain was performed by Dr. Robinson on December 19th, 1846. The operation lasted only four minutes and the patient admitted he had no pain.
IX. Answer the questions.
1. When was dentistry established as a separate branch of medicine?
2. Who are considered the earliest civilized people in the world?
3. Did ancient Egyptians show any signs of fillings and usage of false teeth?
4. Where were narcotic substances first used?
5. What do you know about the oldest medical work containing references to dentistry?
6. Where and when was amalgam invented?
7. Who made the first attempt to discuss teeth from a scientific point of view?
8. What mistake did Aristotle make?
9. Who corrected his mistake? When did it happen?
10. How did Andreas Vesalius classify the teeth?
11. What are Romans famous for in the field of dentistry?
12. When was the first book devoted to the anatomy of teeth published?
13. What kind of experiments had Dr. Morton had made before he performed the first tooth extraction under ether?
14. When and where was the first tooth extraction under ether performed?
