A Dentist's Shop is Fitted Up

By the 1730s, dentistry had become an established practice for relieving tooth aches, extractions and tooth replacement.  Daily brushing was not uncommon especially in the colonial period, especially after the introduction of William Addis’s bone carved toothbrush in the 1780s.  However, prevention was not always successful:  George Washington had poor teeth despite his daily brushing and use of mouthwash.

Most communities on the east coast supported at least one dentist by the early 1800's, and the practice of dentistry had professionalized.  Innovations in personal hygiene included the introduction of modern dental floss in the 1810s and modern toothpaste in the 1820s.

Captions:

1. IMAGE IN LEFT MARGIN: Poster for oral hygiene, Works Progress Administration Poster Collection, 1936-1938. , Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
2. Photograph of George Washington's Teeth by George G. Bain, courtesy of Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.
3. Hood's Tooth Powder bottle. From the collections at Canterbury Shaker Village. 1996.C.1.17.