Introduction to Dentistry
1st Year
Lect. 1
Dentistry:
Is a healing art and science that is concerned
with the teeth, oral cavity, and associated
structures.
Dentist:
One whose profession is to treat diseases and
injuries of the teeth and oral cavity and to construct
and insert restorations of and for the teeth, jaws,
and mouth.
History of Dentistry
The earliest history of treating tooth related problems goes all
the way back to 7000 BC, The first method of treatment was
bow drills, which were ancient primitive tools used for wood
working and treating tooth problems.
Moving forward into 5000 BC, the Sumerians blamed tooth
worms as the cause of any dental issues, with the worms
boring little holes in your teeth and hiding out inside.
The idea that a worm traveled through your mouth
and was the cause of dental pain lasted until it was
proven false in the 1700s
In ancient Greece, Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote
about treating decayed teeth as well as having teeth
extracted to keep mouth pain away.
Interestingly enough, the professionals who were doing
these extractions during the middle ages were not medical
authorities, but barbers. These partially trained hair cutters
began using a “Dental Pelican” in the 14th century and then
a “Dental Key” to extract teeth from their patients’ mouths.
The man behind the science was 17th century French
Physician, Pierre Fauchard. He is called “The Father of
Modern Dentistry”, and he was the brains behind many of
the procedures still used in today’s society. For instance,
he was the man behind the thought process for dental
fillings, and he also helped to explain that acids from sugar
are a major source of tooth decay.
From here, the rest is history. In 1840, the first dental
college was opened, called the Baltimore College of
Dental Surgery. This led to more government oversight,
and eventually regulation through the American Dental
Association (ADA).
In 1873, Colgate mass-produced the first toothpaste
in a jar, and, just a few years later, in 1885 the first
tooth brush was mass produced in America. The first
real electric toothbrush was produced in 1939, but it
was developed in Switzerland.
D. or Dr.:
Doctor.
D.D.S.:
Doctor of Dental Science; Doctor of Dental Surgery.
B.D.S.:
Bachelor of Dental Surgery.
G.P.:
General Practitioner: licensed dentist who performs all types of dental treatment.
M.D.S.:
Master of Dental Surgery.
Ph.D.:
Philosophiae Doctor.
Operative Dentistry
Endodontics.
Periodontology.
Orthodontics.
Pedodontics (Pediatric Dentistry).
Prosthodontics.
Oral Surgery.
Dental Radiology:
Oral Pathology.
Oral Medicine and oral diagnosis.
Dental Public Health
Preventive Dentistry.
Geriatric Dentistry.
Esthetic Dentistry.
Teeth are more than projections in the mouth allow
you to grind the food and prepare it for the initial
phase of digestive process.
Teeth are one of the most important elements of the
masticatory system.
Man supplied through his life by two sets of teeth, a
deciduous or primary set, and followed by a
permanent set.
1. Mastication:
It is the most important function of the teeth.
The teeth are designed to perform this function.
2. Appearance:
Well clean teeth with proper alignment give
nice appearance to the face and also support the
facial expressions.
3. Speech:
The teeth are important for clear
pronunciation and for production of sound.
4. Growth of jaws:
The teeth play a role in the growth of the jaw
in some periods.
natural teeth in position in the dental arches.
• Primary dentition.
• Mixed dentition.
• Permanent dentition.
Primary Teeth
Primary dentition (deciduous dentition, first
dentition): The number of primary teeth present in
the child is usually 20 if none are congenitally
missing or lost as a result of disease.
The eruption of primary teeth is expected to begin at
6 months of age.
Usually at age 2 to 2.5 years or thereabout, the
primary dentition is completed.
However, the time of eruption of both the primary
and permanent teeth varies greatly. Variations of six
months either side of the usual eruption dates can
be considered normal for a given child.
Mixed dentition
Usually exists in a person's oral cavity from
approximately 6 to 12 years of age. This mixed
dentition is a combination of primary and
permanent dentition. Mixed dentition occurs as
the permanent teeth begin to erupt within the oral
cavity, while some of the primary teeth are still
present.
Permanent dentition
Permanent dentition (secondary dentition): 32
teeth of adulthood that either replace or are added to
the complement of deciduous teeth.
The eruption of permanent teeth is expected to begin
at 6 years of age.
Usually at age 17 to 21 years, the permanent
dentition is completed.
20 deciduous teeth
Two arches
called the
DENTAL ARCHES
32 permanent teeth
one upper and one lower, each arch contains half the
number of the teeth (10 deciduous then later 16
permanent teeth).
The upper jaw is called MAXILLA upper or
maxillary teeth.
The lower jaw is called the MANDIBLE
lower or the mandibular teeth
Maxilla
Mandible
The permanent teeth are equally arranged or
grouped into four quadrants:
1. Upper Right Quadrant or, Maxillary Right
Quadrant.
2. Upper Left Quadrant or, Maxillary Left
Quadrant.
3. Lower Right Quadrant or, Mandibular
Right Quadrant.
4. Lower Left Quadrant or, Mandibular Left
Quadrant.
Incisor.
Canine (or Cuspid). Primary Dentition
Molar.
Incisor.
Canine (or Cuspid).
Permanent Dentition
Premolar (or Bicuspid).
Molar.
Incisor: Central and Lateral.
Canine (or Cuspid).
Premolar (or Bicuspid): First and Second.
Molar: First, Second and Third.
