Challenges Of Dentistry

In the articles "The History of Teeth" and "Where Are All the Dentists?", both by Kristin Lewis, it explains the history of dentistry, as well as the advancements in that field of study. Throughout the years, there have been many challenges with dentistry, especially in the early days of civilization. For one, not many people can afford the fee of the dentist nowadays, not even for a simple cleaning. In “Where Are All the Dentists?”, it says, “Many Americans can’t go to the dentist because of the cost. The average price of an exam and a cleaning is about $100. This can be a financial burden, especially for those without insurance,” (Lewis 17). The financial aspect is a challenge because, if tooth issues go untreated, then there are many problems that could happen in the future, and

Another problem shown in the article, one that many have had to face, is the wrath if a traveling “tooth drawer”. They were people that went from town to town, pulling bad teeth for a cheap price. In “The History of Teeth”, the worst side of the “tooth drawers” is shown by saying, “Some tooth drawers were well-meaning but inexperienced. Others were outright con artists looking to make a quick buck. They’d show up to a town claiming they could pull teeth painlessly - which, of course, they couldn’t. Sometimes they traveled with musicians who would play loud music to drown out people’s screams. Then the tooth drawers would ride off into the sunset, leaving their “patients” to deal with bleeding gums, fractured jaws, infections, and facial disfigurements,” (Lewis 17). This would also happen with barbers, the “dentists” at the time. Many people experienced this pain throughout the world, which would make it become a slight challenge, due to little advancement in dentistry at that time.