Dentistry
the art of cleaning and extracting teeth, of repairing them when diseased, and replacing them when necessary by artificial ones. There are two very distinct branches of the art now recognized, one being dental surgery, the other mechanical dentistry. The first requires an extended medical knowledge on the part of the practitioner, as, for instance, a knowledge of diseases the effects of which may reach the teeth, of the connection between the welfare of the teeth and the general system, etc., as well as ability to discern latent oral diseases, calculate the effects of operations, etc. The second department, mechanical dentistry, is concerned with the construction of artificial substitutes for lost teeth, and requires much mechanical science, it being a very delicate work to give artificial teeth a perfectly natural appearance in shape and color. In the United States the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery is the oldest, its charter being dated 1839; the Ohio College of Dental Surgery followed in 1845; the Philadelphia College of Surgery in 1850; the Philadelphia Dental College in 1863; the New York College of Dentistry in 1865, and various others. The "American Journal and Library of Dental Science" was established in Baltimore in 1839.
Every State has now its State Dental Society: besides national organizations, of which the American Dental Association is among the most important.