Oral Surgery: Oral surgery is that branch of dentistry which deals with the diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of diseases, disorders and/or conditions of the oral cavity.
As humanity progressed, we saw an immense rise in the field of oral surgery. Initially, the thought of a dental treatment horrified people, however, as time passed, dentistry took a giant leap forward and the terror has been done away with.
If we are to take a journey back to earlier times, we shall find that the first dentist was an Egyptian, Hesi Re (3100-2181 BC). Due to lack of advanced tools, extraction was the first choice for dentists.
Moving on, in about 249 AD, a woman named Apollonia was burned after having her teeth removed. Today, she is famed as the ‘Patron Saint of Dentists’ and she is depicted with forceps.
It is also of great interest to note that in 1764, dentists in American colonies used keys to extract teeth and often blacksmiths who made the keys, served as local dentists.
In 1790, Josiah Flagg, using the design of a Windsor chair, constructed the first chair specifically for dentists. It had adjustable arms that held instruments.
In the 18th century, dental instruments were seen more as objects of art and were made of ivory, mother of pearl, gold, silver and different woods.
But, by the end of the 19th century, the demand for antiseptic instruments precluded the further use of decorative implements.
Forceps are probably the oldest of all dental instruments and have been known by different names such as parrot's beak, crow's bill and stork's bill.
We are now in the modern era and the branch of oral surgery has moved from simple extractions to complex surgeries. The oral surgeon is now referred to as a maxillofacial surgeon. There are no sharp lines separating a maxillofacial surgeon from an ENT or a plastic surgeon and therefore many of us are referred to as ‘craniofacial surgeons’.
