The Dental Drill 1864 – Dental Cutting Instruments

The modern dental drill allows dentists to work faster and more precisely while making the experience less painful for patients. It is a high-speed instrument that can rotate at 400,000 revolutions per minute, producing less vibration than earlier versions. Today's drill is usually made of tungsten carbide and is used to remove decayed tooth material or prepare a tooth for a filling.

Examples of ancient dental drills include flint drills made by Stone Age people 9,000 years ago and drills used by the Maya more than 1,000 years ago. The Maya used a hand-turned jade tool to drill holes in their teeth for jewels. Since ancient dental drills were slow and unsettling, however, extraction was the most common treatment for tooth decay. In 1728, French physician Pierre Fauchard, known as the father of modern dentistry, first used a drill he had modified with a moving bow.

In 1864, British dentist George Fellows Harrington invented the first motorized dental drill, which was much faster than earlier drills, but the noisy instrument was difficult to use. In 1871, American dentist James Beall Morrison patented a pedal-powered dental drill. Whereas the best hand-powered drill of the time could reach 100 rpm, Morrison's reached 2,000 rpm. In the early 1870s, American dentist George F. Green patented an electric dental drill, but it attracted little excitement because it depended on unreliable electricity supplies. Finally, in 1957, the first turbine drill was introduced, offering a speed of 3,000 rpm. Today, there are many alternatives to the traditional dental drill, including experimental robotic drills.

Historical Figures Mentioned in This Article: Pierre Fauchard (1678–1761), George Fellows Harrington (1812–1895), James Beall Morrison (1829–1917), George F. Green (1932–1892)

• Previous topic: The Red Cross and Red Crescent 1863–1868 – The Birth of Humanitarian Organizations
• Next topic: Antiseptics 1865 – The Birth of Sterilization in Healthcare