This document provides a timeline of important events and discoveries in dentistry and related fields from 1901 to 1972. Some key highlights include: - In 1901, William Rollins published over 200 articles warning about the potential dangers of x-rays and advocated for precautions when using them. - In 1937, Bernard Fantus opened the world's first blood bank and coined the term. - In 1955, Michael Buonocore described the acid etch technique, laying the foundation for dental bonding. - The first commercial electric toothbrush was introduced in 1960. - In 1971, Hall and Jako described tissue reactions to laser light and wound healing, advancing the use of lasers in dentistry.

1. 1901
•Referred : X-rays as X-light.
•Published a series of over 200
articles : the possible dangers of
the x-ray beam (earliest pioneer)
•Stressed that "animals vary in
susceptibility to the external
action of X-light" and warned that
these differences should be
considered when patients were
treated by means of x-rays
William Herbert Rollins
“Father of Radiation Protection”

2. 1903
•Some Conclusions from Experiments on Guinea Pigs
were made:
Because of inverse square law source should be
distant from patient to avoid over exposure of skin
Should use low vacuum (low resistance, low kVp)
tubes for superficial lesions and high vacuum, high
resistance, high kVp tubes) for deep lesions to spare
skin
Argues that experiments should be performed on
animals rather than humans! (remember Elihu
Thomson)
Later on list of precautions was extended

3. Clarence Madison Dally (1865-1904)
Thomas Edison's lab.
•Suffered severe radiation burns in 1896
• Hair fell out & scalp became inflamed &
ulcerated
•1904 - the first of the radiation workers
died because of radiation

4. 1901
Frederick McKay
•1901 : moved to Colorado
Springs, Colorado to start a
dental practice
•Observed : people suffered from
brown stains on teeth.
•Searched for information about
the disorder causing the stains

5. 1901
•Eager : published description of the "mottled enamel"
(a small village near Naples, Italy)
• Called as “Denti di Chiaie” : named after Stefano
Chiaie, an Italian professor.
"Denti di Chiaie”

6. •For six years (1909-1914),
McKay and G V Black worked
together :
found that nearly 90% of
children native to Colorado
Springs suffered from the
stain.
Named the brown stain :
tooth mottling, which was
later changed to fluorosis
Discovered that mottled
teeth were highly resistant to
tooth decay
1909
G V Black

7. 1931
Discovered :dental fluorosis
was caused by fluoride in
drinking water during
childhood.
Henry Trendley Dean :
•Identified connection between
high concentrations of fluoride
in the drinking water and
mottled enamel.
• Gave a classification system
for dental fluorosis : Dean's
Index
Henry Trendley Dean

8. 1903
•The first artificial porcelain root, inserted in August 1903.
•Based on this;
E. J. Greenfield’s described “two-step” cages (1913),
which anticipate the evolution of modern implantology

9. 1907
William Taggart
Lost wax casting machine
Invents
•formulated a wax pattern
compound of excellent properties
• developed an investment
material
• invented an air pressure casting
machine.

10. • During World War II: urgent military demands led to
overtaxing of the machine tool industry
• Investment casting provided a shortcut for producing
precision parts and allowed for the use of specialized alloys
which could not be readily shaped by alternative methods.
• During the post-war period, it expanded into many
commercial and industrial uses where complex metal parts
were needed.

11. Published his monumental two-
volume treatise Operative
Dentistry
1908
Greene Vardiman Black

12. 1910
William Hunter
Focal infection theory
Oral microbes responsible for wide range of systemic
condition

13. • He claimed restoration of carious teeth resulted in entrapment of
infectious agent under restoration.
• He believed that teeth are liable to infection because of their
relationship to alveolar bone and structures
• Therefore he advocated extraction of teeth to eliminate source of
sepsis
• However this theory was rejected in 1940s and 1950s as
extractions failed to reduce or eliminate any systemic condition

14. 1910 :
Cyrus M. Wright: first formal training program for dental nurses

15. 1911 : Establishment of US Army Dental Corps
•Focused on commitment to
postgraduate dental education
•Prepared young dentist
physically, mentally and
professionally for war like
situations

16. 1913
Alfred C. Fones
•World’s first oral hygiene school.
•First to use the term “dental
hygienist,” becomes known as the
Father of Dental Hygiene.
•Created a program for public
schools so that dental graduates can
provide care.

17. : Neumann
1915
•Provided the first detailed anantomical descriptions of relationships
of the mandibular roots to both osseous and neurovascular structure
•Mucoperiosteal flap
Neumann

18. Requirements of mucoperiosteal flap
•Incision should be designed: To avoid injury to nerves and
blood vessels in the region
•Must include mucosa and periosteum in one sharp clean cut
until the bone is reached
•Base should be broader than the free margin: maintain
maximum blood supply to tissues which enhance healing
Base broader than margin Incision till periosteum

19. • Cephalometrics is a
specialised radiographic
techniques for abstracting
the human head in
geometric scheme.
1918 : Van Loon
Van Loon
Introduced Cephalometry

20. •The x-ray receptor is parallel to the long axis
of the tooth
•The central beam of x-ray is directed at right
angles to the teeth and the receptor
1920 : Franklin W McCormack
Franklin W
McCormack

21. •Established the first dental school in
Calcutta, India which was financed by
New York Soda Fountain
•Father of Indian Dentistry
1920 :
Dr. R Ahmed

22. Insulin first used for
the treatment of diabetes,
allowing diabetics to
survive after diagnosis.
1922 : Insulin

23. 1924 :
M. Evangeline
Jordan
•The first book written in English on
pediatric dentistry “Operative Dentistry
for Children”
•Considered as america’s 1st pediatric
dentist

24. 1925
Dr. R Ahmed
Establishes Bengal Dental Association
and Indian Dental Journal

25. 1926
Neumann
Gave split
thickness
flap

26. 1928
Alexander Fleming
Discovery of antibiotics

27. • 1929 : Kjellgren
•Described a procedure where few deciduous teeth were
extracted followed by permanent teeth to guide rest of the
teeth in normal occlusion.
•Used the term “ Serial Extraction”.

28. Introduced Calcium hydroxide as a pulp capping agent
1930 : Hermann

29. 1931
Alfred Einhorn
Alfred Einhorn; A German
chemist
•Was researching a non-
addictive anaesthetic to use on
soldiers wounded in battle
•Developed procain, later to
be called Novocain

30. 1933 :
Dr. H Numata
Proposed rotational panaromic radiographic method
Flexible film
X-ray
tube

31. 1934 : H. Hofrath
• Standardized Cephalometrics
• Published “Fortschritte der Orthodontie”

32. 1937
Alvin Strock :
Inserted the first Vitallium
dental screw implant

33. Chester Carlson
1937
•Discovered xeroradiography
•Xeroradiography is the recording of radiologic images
by a photoelecrtic process rather than the photochemical
one used in conventional radiography

34. •Coined the term "blood bank" and opened the world's first
(Smithsonian Institution Archives)
1937
Bernard Fantus

35. • Introduced the nylon toothbrush made with synthetic
bristles
1938

36. 1940 : Nance
Father of serial extraction

37. 1945 :Beginning of water fluoridation era: Grand Rapids,
Michigan

38. 1946
Felix Bloch and Edward Purcell
Discovered MRI

39. 1949
Abraham Weinstein
Development of Porcelain fused to
metal crowns

40. Introduction of first fluoride toothpaste

41. 1955
Michael Buonocore
Described acid
etch technique

42. Dr. Andrew J Hass :
 “Hass expander : 1st arch expansion device”
1956
Andrew J Hass Hass expander

43. 1957
John Borden
•Introduced a high-speed air-driven contra-angle handpiece
• 5000 rpm – 3,00,000 rpm

44. •Messing introduced Messing-gun
•Used for placement of various root end filling materials
1958

45. 1958
A fully reclining dental chair was introduced

46. 1960
•Based on the concept of
acid-etching of tooth enamel
and ability of resin materials
to adhere to such etched
enamel surface.
•Dental sealants were
introduced to help prevent
cavities in children and
adolescents’ permanent teeth

47. 1960
Four-handed dentistry became popular in the U.S
adding comfort to the patients and as well as operating
dentist

48. 1960
The first commercial electric toothbrush was introduced

49. 1960
Theodore Maiman
•Invented Ruby Laser

50. 1961
Ali Javan Introduced gas laser

51. 1962
Rafael Bowen
•Introduced Bis-GMA
•Experiments on reinforcing Epoxy
resin with filler particles led to
discovery
•Combination of advantages of epoxy
resin and acrylates
Bisphenol A + Glycidyl methacrylate = Bis GMA

52. 1962
•Nickel-titanium alloy was developed
by : The United States Naval
Ordanance Laboratory and
Commercialized under the trade name
Nitinol
•Nitinol : An acronym for Nickel
Titanium Naval Ordanance Laboratory
•Nitinol was accidently discovered
when a sample bent many times held
up, returned to its original shape
William J Buehler

53. 1967
Godfrey N. Hounsefield : Computerized Tomography Scan

54. 1968
•One of the earliest gas lasers to be
developed. It
•Was invented by C. Kumar N.
Patel (an electrical engineer)
of Bell Labs in 1964
• Highest-power continuous wave
lasers that are currently available
•Produces infrared light
•Uses of CO2 lasers:
Industrial (cutting and
welding)
Medical (soft-tissue surgery)
to destroy SDI satellites
In LIDAR technique
C Kumar N Patel

55. •Soft tissue surgery
Gingivoplasty
Papillectomy
Gingivectomy
•Removal of soft tissue, cysts, and fibroma
•Extraction site hemostasis
•Ulcers
•To activate tooth bleaching materials
•Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure –
Cementum-mediated periodontal ligament new
attachment procedure
•Excision & ablation of tumor
•Salivary gland pathologies
•Crown lengthening (soft tissue)

56. WHO established:
“The WHO epidemiological data bank”
which collects data on dental health and dental needs in
many countries around the globe
1969

57. Invented by Craven Kurz in 1976.
1970
Lingual braces
Craven Kurz

58. 7th generation
6th generation
5th generation
4th generation
3th generation
1th generation 2nd generation
Dr Kurz and Co-workers

59. 1971
Hall and Jako:
•Described Tissue reaction to laser light and wound
healing
Wilson and kent:
Glass ionomer cement
1972