A Brief History of Dentistry

Did you know that the first dentists were actually barbers?
Since dentistry as a profession did not exist until the 18th century, barbers were the ones taking care of your teeth. Not because they were trained in that field, but because the instruments they used were the most similar to today’s dental instruments. Besides dentistry, they often acted as surgeons for the same reason.

It was only in the second half of the 18th century that dentistry separated as an independent branch, thanks to the French dentist Pierre Fauchard, who is considered the father of modern dentistry.

Although the term dentistry originates from two Latin words (stoma = mouth and logos = science) and actually means “the science of the mouth,” in our region the commonly accepted term is zubar — “the one who deals with teeth.”

With the advancement of dentistry as a science, we have come a long way from treating toothache by extracting the tooth at a barber’s shop, to today’s wide range of complex procedures that allow for conservative treatment of your teeth — all performed pain-free, and with tooth extraction taken as the last option.

So, when your tooth starts hurting, don’t wait until extraction is the only solution.
Today, toothache can be treated quickly and easily, and modern approaches and new technologies make it possible to preserve your natural teeth.