A Blast from the Past: Dentistry and Surgery in the Renaissance
England in the 1500s was going through a great deal of change and growth as a country and as a society, this period of time was known as the Renaissance period. All aspects and areas of life were improving and flourishing during this period of time. One aspect of life that was changing and expanding were the Surgery and dentistry fields. Many people realized how important it was to learn about the human body through surgeons and to keep dental hygiene a top priority. The Renaissance period opened up a new way of studies and methods in both of these fields. During the Renaissance period England experienced a great advance in their medical and dentistry field however, there were many skills and knowledge that the people of this time did not know. Doctors needed to acquire specific types of qualifications to become certified in their field. Whether a citizen in England wanted to be a dentist or a surgeon the requirements were the same. The candidate must have first graduated at a university or college no further apprenticeship was required most however, worked under a qualified physician. In order to even get the education needed for a license citizens, men at this time, had to get into a college first to learn the skills needed. However, many
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The poor hygiene of the Renaissance era in england contributed to tooth loss and tooth decay. If teeth did not fall out on their own citizens of this time could go to the physicians, whose job was to extract the pesky teeth (Fondriest). Physicians of this time were synonymous with dentists today, the tools they used were very different back then however. Dentists of this time used forceps, a punch and a pelican (Parry). Surgeons used tools such as saws to do dissections on people. This was very unsanitary and many people became ill because of infection after having surgery
o Please describe a time when you performed a thorough head, neck and oral exam and the findings had a significant impact on how you proceeded with the dental hygiene process of care. Annette was performing her usual head, neck, and oral exam on a patient and found an enlarged thyroid. She recommended to the patient that she go see her primary care physician to get a better diagnosis. The patient went to her primary care physician and was told there was probably nothing. Later, the patient returned to the dental office and saw Annette and told her what the physician said.
However, some aspects can be compared to today’s medicine. The apothecaries of the Elizabethan era can be compared to today’s pharmacists. The apothecary’s main role in the medical system was to provide drugs to the patient, much like a pharmacist (Patterson, White). Also, barbers can be compared to today’s nurses. The barbers were not allowed to perform certain medical procedures and their practices mainly consisted of only tooth-pulling and bloodletting (Patterson, White).
A Medieval doctor and present day doctor have the same principles, but they acquire the skills different ways. Nowadays, if anybody had a specific condition, there is a doctor for that specific acquired condition that he or she may have. During the middle Ages, surgeons were considered to be craftsmen, skilled with tools. They became capable of carrying out a wide variety of tasks. The man who cut your hair was often the one who operated on you if you were ill. Present day doctors do not cut hair and they acclaim a specific job assigned to them. Doctors now have to go the college and get a degree, where in the middle ages they were not taught into a medical practice. Many believe the practice became useless, but these Nim Gimmers were much needed throughout the Medieval Times. (Nosow Pg.7)
Braces came about in the early 1800s, but humans were practicing orthodontics before Christ. David Evans, DDS, says that many mummified remains, with what researchers believe could have been an early attempt to close gaps in teeth, were discovered by archaeologist early in ancient history. He states, “These remains have a cord made from animal intestines (known as catgut) wrapped or run along the teeth in a very similar style to how modern orthodontists run orthodontic wire along the teeth in an effort to close off gaps.” The Surgeon Dentist, written by Pierre Fauchard, the father of modern dentistry, was published in 1728. His book gave birth to modern Orthodontics.
Professionalism in the dental profession refers to our responsibilities and obligations that exists throughout our entire dental career. “Professional competence is the habitual and judicious use of communication, knowledge, technical skills, clinical reasoning, emotions, values and reflection in daily practice for the benefit of the individual and community being served (Kirk, 2007).” A health professional must be able to regulate their own behavior and comply with a code of ethics in professional practice. Fundamental principles of professionalism include primacy of patient welfare, social justice and patient autonomy (Kirk, 2007).
The variety of dental instruments that have been invented since the beginning of basic dentistry till modern times is enormous. Dentistry has been around since the Ancient Egyptians, the firsts known dentist was Hesy-Re, who has inscribed on one of his tomb walls “the greatest of those who deal with teeth”. Onward from Hesy-Re, the focus on dental health became a concern, however, it was not till about the end of the 1700’s that dentistry was regarded as true profession. Dentistry during the American Civil War was not the initial interest of the time, the focus was of course on the injured men who would come off the battle field. When one thinks of Civil War medicine they may tend to think of amputations and treating bullet wounds. However,
The quality of doctors during the Renaissance was a small step up from the Medieval era. There were a few medical schools that had started and doctors were beginning to have the option of a formal education. The only problem was that people didn't need a license to be a doctor. Many "quacks" practiced medicine. And doctors had no specialization; there were no dentists, no surgeons, and no physicians. So a doctor may have not known anything about one of those areas but still attempted to treat it.
Doctors have to be committed and intelligent to be successful. This is different from farming because farmers only had to know how to harvest crops in order to work. There are many similarities and differences between farmers
There weren’t many trained doctors in Europe in the Middle Ages . In Paris in 1274 there were only 8 doctors and about 40 people practising medicine without any official training and they didn’t really understand how the body worked and why people got sick. When making a diagnosis doctors might consult medical books, astrological charts and urine samples. Some doctors believed disease was caused by bad smells or small worms, or the position of the planets or stars. They also charged very high fees, so only the rich could afford them.
On my first clinical rotation outside of 5w, in the Roanoke Memorial Hospital, I had the pleasure of visiting the OR. My last week of clinical rotation, I got the opportunity to witness two different cases. I saw a hemorrhoidectomy, and a Laparoscopic colectomy. Although I only had an opportunity of witnessing the hemorrhoidectomy in the middle of the procedure, both procedures were quite invasive. There were both very interesting to watch.
Imagine having to spend half your fortune on correcting your teeth.”Tooth decay was a perennial national problem that meant a mouthful of silver for patients, and for dentists a pocketful of gold.” (Wallis, 17) If patients don’t take care of their teeth, many issues can start to appear later in their life. Some patients are not knowledgeable of the correct procedures toward keeping a healthy smile. In order to keep a healthy smile patients must be better informed about the knowledge to achieve that success and also maintain.
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
...al society of dentists, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was founded in New York City.”(Dentistry Encyclopedia Britannica). In 1844 an American dentist named Horace Wels discovered the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide which could be used in dental surgery and treatment. After discovering it, later he used it in his surgeries. Numerous advances in dentistry were equipment, materials, and techniques came back to back to one another. In 1864 vulcanized rubber was introduced as a substitute for people that could pay for costly gold dentures. The very first dental school to be joined with a university was Harvard University which was in 1867. Most dentists were still being trained in a system of preceptorship with a real established dentist. The very start is licensure in the United States first happened in 1868, with the states New York, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Becoming a dentist begins with achievement of a science-related scholar degree program. Ambitious dentists then attend dental school to earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). Alumni of dental programs are obligatory to earn state licensure to run-through in the profession. State dental boards need dentists to complete a identified number of current education credits or hours to continue licensure. Some certifying boards want a lowest number of these credits to focus on a exact subject, such as life support or pain running. Depending on the state, dentists may be acceptable to earn a partial number of credits through online courses. States may also allow dentists to earn credits by attending state-approved meetings and sessions. The majorities of dentists work as sole proprietors, who must hire, train and oversee staff. In addition to 8 years of education, there are other requirements to become a dentist. Colleges that offer the education a
Cosmetic dentistry is a specialized field that deals with improving the aesthetics of teeth and the human face. The teeth are an important part of human beauty. Even minor damage to the teeth, such as breakage or loss can drastically alter the overall appearance of the face. This is where cosmetic dentistry comes in to restore beauty. Cosmetic dentistry has become a highly specialized branch due to various advancements in surgical procedures and diagnostic techniques. Several new materials have also been discovered. These materials are very close to the natural enamel and bone from which teeth are made and are virtually indistinguishable. Cosmetic dentistry is an option in conditions such as teeth loss, gaps between teeth, cracked or chipped teeth, cavities and dental