Many people today hate going to the dentist because many of the practices and procedures are uncomfortable and can hurt bad. While this is still a concern for patients, at least these are not the same practices that have been used throughout history. For example, the oldest known example of dental work comes from an Italian man who lived fourteen-thousand years ago. Although it wasn’t an example of tooth extraction, Lake Lindsey residents should know that these remains show signs of drill holes in one of his molars. This drilling was done by hand with a stone tool, and it must have been extremely painful.
No Anesthesia was a Common Issue
There is little evidence to suggest that anesthesia, such as nitrous oxide, was ever used in dental practice before the eighteen-forties when it was introduced by Horace Wells. This implies that when it came to archaic forms of tooth extraction, Lake Lindsey residents should understand that tooth extraction was a very serious procedure, that was very painful. In many cases a person getting a tooth removed hundreds of years ago would have to be restrained by other professionals or family members, otherwise many people would not want to go through with the procedure in the first place, and for good reason.
Many of the Tools Used in Extraction Were not Dentist Tools at the Time
One facet of old dentistry is that around the time that Anesthesia was being experimented with and also before this time, there was no such thing as a professional dedicated to dentistry. When it came to getting someone to perform a tooth extraction, Lake Lindsey residents might be shocked to know that it was also the same person responsible for cutting someone’s hair, cutting off or amputating limbs, and being a blood-letter. Simply put, most of the earliest dental professionals had little to no knowledge about dental health, which in it of itself is a scary practice that someone would be dealing with today.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Anchor Dental Care*