Famous dentists through history

From gunfighters and revolutionaries to scientific leaders and musicians, the pioneers of dentistry have some colourful backgrounds

At the American Dental Association (ADA)’s annual meeting in New Orleans in October, I was struck by the many historical figures within dentistry that are sometimes overlooked – or, in some cases, not remembered at all. Sitting on the banks of the Mississippi, the Ernest N Morial Convention Center played host to the ADA’s SmileCon, which attracted more than 16,000 attendees.

During the opening ceremony, mention was made of Dr Clarence Edmund Kells Jr. If that is a name you do not recognise, you are not alone. He was an American dentist who practised for almost 50 years in New Orleans. He was the most prominent pioneer of dental radiology, holding more than 30 patents on dental devices. He introduced dental X-rays at a meeting of the Southern Dental Association in North Carolina in 1896 – and the rest is history.

In 1868, another American dentist, George F Green, is credited with refining the pneumatic drill. Still staying State-side, many will be familiar with Professor Albert Porter Southwick.

He was a professor at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (now known as the State University of New York). Southwick was also largely responsible for the introduction of the electric chair for use in capital punishment from the 1890s!

Further back in history, we find Paul Revere – that American Revolutionary – who is most widely remembered as a silversmith, but was also an amateur dentist.

John Henry Holliday – better known as Doc Holliday – was a gunfighter, gambler… and a dentist! His actions at the OK Corral are the stuff of screen legend.

Closer to home, in France, Dr Pierre Fauchard is often called the “father of modern dentistry’. His treatise Le Chirurgien Dentiste (The Surgeon Dentist), published in 1728, was the first to give a scientific basis to dentistry. 

When thinking about dentists, it’s often remarkable to consider the people who could have been in the profession. Roger Taylor of Queen had initially signed up to study dentistry in London and formed a band called ‘Smile’ with Brian May in 1968. The monster dancefloor classic of 1992, It’s My Life, by Dr Alban was created by the eponymous DJ who had moved to Stockholm to study dentistry and used his gigs to finance his studies. Back in the day, dental students at UCC will recall it echoing in Gorby’s in Cork City.

Many practices use Facebook, thanks to the development of this ubiquitous tool by Mark Zuckerberg. But how many of you are aware that Mark’s father is a dentist? Dr Edward Zuckerberg has long been a pioneer of integrating technology into dental practice and was a recent investor in Perceptive, the Boston-based start-up responsible for the world’s first dental procedure performed by a robot (see cover story).

The study of dentistry in these islands has a storied history too, with the first ever appointed Professor of Dentistry – in either England or Ireland – occurring in 1884 with the appointment of Professor Theodore Stack at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). And, with the new dental school at RCSI due to open in 2025, more history awaits.

Finally, for those of us who might be struggling with an extraction, negotiating a canal or taking a tricky impression, you might well say a prayer to St Apollonia, the Patron Saint of Dentists – and toothache!

This martyr had the unfortunate experience of having her teeth extracted/broken in a purge of Christians in Alexandria, Egypt, in 249AD and is now recognised as the Patron Saint of Dentistry and patients with dental pain. 

From gunfighters and revolutionaries to scientific pioneers and musicians, the profession continues to see every walk of life feature. We sometimes forget that while the role of dentist is a vital part of overall health – the providers of treatment can have colourful lives in the background.