Early descriptions of mouth diseases are contained in the Hindu Veda Agurveda, which also describes the use of frayed aromatic wooden sticks for cleaning the teeth. The ancient Hindus are also known to have inserted gold and jewels into holes drilled in the teeth and they used extraction tools and other dental instruments. They also treated gum diseases.
In ancient China, dating as far back at 2700 B.C., toothaches, like other ailments, were treated by acupuncture, the insertion of thin metal needles into various parts of the body. After the needle was withdrawn, the painful spot was cauterized in the belief that it would draw out the humor that caused the pain. Acupuncture was also practiced by the Japanese, and it is still used to treat disease in some parts of Asia.
In Biblical times, the Hebrews treated toothaches by applying vinegar to the teeth, and they replaced lost teeth with artificial ones of gold, silver, and wood. The value of healthy teeth is implied in the Old Testament admonition of "a tooth for a tooth," and during the existence of the temple at Jerusalem, a priest with defective teeth was not permitted to conduct services.
In ancient Egypt, from as early as 3700 B.C., dentistry arose as a branch of medicine, and many physicians specialized in treating diseases of the teeth. The Ebers Papyrus, which was written about 1500 B.C. and named for Georg Ebers who discovered it in 1875, describes many remedies for treating dental ailments, including fractured jaws and mouth wounds.
The use of artificial dental appliances was known in ancient Phoenicia during the 4th and 5th centuries B.C. Lost teeth were replaced with teeth extracted from slaves, and they were held in place with gold wire. At about the same time the Etruscans in Italy made dental bridges using ox teeth that were held in place by gold bands.
The Greek physician Hippocrates (5th–4th century B.C.) wrote about diseases of the teeth and described their treatment. He also devised simple dental instruments, practiced extractions, and performed other operations on the teeth and jaws. Galen (2d century A.D.), a noted Greek contributor to medical knowledge, was the founder of the theory that inflammation is the cause of tooth decay. According to this theory decay is caused by disturbances in the blood that inflame the teeth. Although many dental procedures were performed by the Greek physicians, extractions were generally performed by barbers, and artificial ivory teeth were constructed by artisans.
Dentistry during the Roman Empire incorporated many of the techniques and procedures used by the Greeks. As early as 450 B.C., Roman law (Laws of the Twelve Tables) forbade burying any gold in the grave with the dead except for the gold used to fasten the teeth. Celsus, who lived during the 1st century A.D., wrote about diseases of the mouth and their treatment. He also wrote about tooth extraction and described the first method of treating crowded teeth and other irregularities of the teeth. Pliny the Elder (1st century A.D.) wrote about mouth hygiene and bad breath and described mechanical means for correcting irregularities in the positioning of the teeth.
