| Before
dentistry became a profession, many different people had to act as the
dentist. Clergymen and educators often practiced medicine and dentistry.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote a medical handbook. In it he
recommended cleaning the teeth, rinsing after sweets, and warned that the use of
tobacco would destroy the teeth.
In the late 1700s, "operators for the
teeth" arrived in America from Europe. These early dentists brought the
dental profession to America. Dentists at this time traveled from place to
place and used the newspaper to announce their arrival. Later, it would become
possible for dentists to set up offices and stay in one place.
The first dental school was founded in 1840 in
Baltimore, Maryland. It was called the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
and it is still in existence today.
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