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The Suppression of Alternative Medical Therapies 47
Dentistry: Stepping Out
of the 1830s
James E. Hardy, D.M.D.
Mercury's use in dentistry has been the subject of my studies for
the past 14 years. I thought I knew the history of the mercuryamalgam
controversy well, but yesterday I pulled a book down
from my shelf that a patient of mine had given me. It was a bound
volume of Dental Students' Magazine, dated 1942 and 1943.
What I read gave me new insight into the history of mercuryamalgam
and its intimate relationship with organized dentistry.
Dentistry in the U.S. did not develop as a separate profession
until the period of 1780 to 1800. There were two types of
"dentists" at this time. There were those who had medical
training and practiced both professions. These were medicaldentists.
Then there were those who were merely craftsmen
and engaged in some other trade, such as barbering, carving
of wood, ivory, and metals . . . among them were the itinerant
tooth pullers. These were called craftsmen-dentists.
There were no American national dental organizations and no
dental schools in existence before 1840. Dentists were either
self taught by "trial and error" on patients or were apprenticed
under a practicing medical-dentist.
The first dental school was chartered in the United States
[on] February 1, 1840. It was called the Baltimore College of
Dental Surgery. It is of interest to note that the Board of the
College of Dental Surgery was composed of nine physicians
and five Clergymen; no dentists. Originally, the school was to
be a graduate program for medical schools as it was only one
session long and did not include any chemistry or pathology.
But as it turns out, this was the beginning of dental training
separating itself from medical education.
Also founded in 1840 was the first national dental organization.
It was called the American Society of Dental Surgeons. Its
members were medical-dentists, not barbers, carpenters, or
sculptors. The medical-dentists were vitally concerned with the
medical, biological and mechanical aspects of dentistry. The
craftsmen-dentists were concerned with the mechanical aspects
and did not consider medical questions.
Mercury-amalgam was first brought into the U.S. from Europe