History of Dentistry

It was in the 1840's, that America produced its first college-qualified dentists. The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery had the distinction of graduating the first class of dentist in the United States.

A typical dental office 150 years ago is portrayed in Ronadros'
"Dentistry 1840".

During this period there were no formal dental chairs. Many dentists would use home-made rocking chairs, as pictured, with a log under the rocker legs to adjust the position of the chair. The chair would be placed near a window for light, as the light bulb was not invented until 1879. Heat was usually provided by a wood or coal burning potbelly stove.

"Dentistry 1840", reflects the dentist with a little boy, as patient, in a log adjusted rocker. The boys' sister with an astonished look on her face as her brother has just lost one of his baby teeth. Keeping all warm and cozy, including the dentist's cats, is the potbelly stove of the 1840's. Outside can be seen the transportation of the period, horse and buggy. A typical Ronadros' touch has a little inquisitive boy peeping though the window to see what's going on in the laboratory of the dentist.

Full dental chairs were manufactured in the 1850's and 1860's. One of the best known was the Swan Chair because the arms were carved to resemble a swans neck. In the 1870's most dental offices lacked not only electricity but plumbing as well. Patients rinsed their mouths and spat into old fashion brass or ceramic contrivances attached to the armchair. Even when the spittoon was enclosed in an attractive cabinet, it still had to be emptied by hand. Cabinets of the time featured a myriad of small drawers that popped up or pivoted out of the most unexpected places. These beautiful hand made cabinets of solid oak or mahogany sold for $100. A bracket fastened to a wall by an extendable arm was used for the dentist's instruments. This table too, was often fitted with tiny drawers for burs and other small pieces of equipment. It was in 1870 that dentist first used the foot-treadle drill, which revolutionized the practice of dentistry. It was the first time a dentist could deliver sufficient speed to a bur so that it could cut smoothly though enamel and dentin. Until that time most teeth were simply extracted. The foot-treadle drill turned at only 250 rpm, compared to the drills of the 1990's of 250,000 rpm. The artist, Ronadro', has captured the above described, as well as, the dress of time. A typical Ronadro' touch is the dog at the master's feet.

The dental office of the 30's was considered cluttered. The more fully furnished office enabled the dentist to serve the patient with a variety of techniques. However, as equipment became more elaborate and more specialized, the office filled up with machines that could appear frightening and chaotic to the patient. Good design, therefore, became imperative to make the best use of the space available. The office depicted in the "Dentistry 1930" is an excellent example of the dental office of the time. The
x-ray machine pictured was now extensively used. It was C. Howard Kells who pioneered the application of the x-ray to diagnose in dentistry. Unfortunately, Kells learned too late the dangers inherent in the remarkable rays and as a result of having often held the film in place with his own fingers he developed cancer in his right hand. Twenty agonizing years followed, during which time he underwent 42 operations, progressively losing hand, arm and shoulder. The intense suffering proved too much even for a man of Kells' determination, and to spare his family further distress, he took his own life on May 7, 1928.

The 1960's were turbulent times in the United States. The Vietnam War, drugs, killings on our campuses, assassination of our President, his brother and a leading black figure, all were a part of this infamous time of American History. The dental profession calmly went about its' normal routine. Contrary to the times, it was a period of relative calm and static growth. The dental office also reflected this in its' environment. It was, however as pictured by Ronadro', the real beginning of our " four handed dentistry", when the dental assistant became an integral part of dentistry. His interpretation of the 1960's office is simple, sterile, and reflects the latest in x-ray and chair equipment. It also reflects the dental assistant calmly going about her duties.

The streamlined office of the 1990's was designed for the dentist and his assistant to work together with maximum convince and efficiency. Many of the items used by the dentist clearly reflect the social times of this period. With the introduction of AIDS throughout the world, sterile gloves, eye protection, special cleaning equipment for instruments and clothing were just a few of the many required items introduced. The dentist pictured in "Dentistry 1990" is using one of the many high technology items also introduced in the 90's for better patient dentistry, an intra-oral camera system.

From the beginnings of dentistry, technology has increased, and doubled time and time again. At the office of Dr. Randy Bell, D.D.S. this technolgy is evident. You can be assured when visiting his office that you are recieving the best treatment, as well as the latest technology in the industry.