History of Dental Caries

Bioanthropology

The study of human remains deriving information about the lifestyle of the population

Paleopathology

Is the study of diseases in the past societies through human remains and ancient text

Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia

The oldest evidence of caries was observed from a fossil found, during the exploration of a zinc mine in 1921

Neanderthals

Showed a high prevalence of enamel hypoplasias and antemortem tooth loss; however, dental caries was rare

Lower Paleolithic

2.8 million years to 200,000 years: The epoch of the hominines and our first ancestors

Middle Paleolithic

The epoch of Neanderthals, from approx. 200,000 to 30,000 BP

Upper Paleolithic

30,000 to 10,000 BP: The epoch of th earliest modern humans

Mesolithic

The phase of transition between the Paleolithic and Neolithic is known as?

Caselitz

• 1998

• Analyzed the historical evolution of caries in 518 human populations of European, Asia and American from the Paleolithic era to the present

• He observed that during Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods, the hunter-gatherers had less caries and also the lesions progress was slow

Tooth Worm

• Cause of dental pain

• Found in Sumerian text, writings of Homer

• Also been found in ancient India, Egypt, Japan, and China

Guy de Chauliac

The Legend of the Worm was promoted by whom?

Charles Land

Developed Jacket crowns covering the entire surface of the tooth

Alfred Einhron

A German scientist, developed new local anesthetic called Procaine

Procaine

In 1905, Alfred Einhron developed new local anesthetic called?

Ritter Dental Company

Introduced dental X-ray in 1920 which later improved with flexible X-ray head

Mckay

In 1930 he did research on fluorides and verified effects of fluoridated drinking water on caries

Trendley Dean

in 1940 established the ideal fluoride level needed in drinking water to reduce caries without mottling