What's Up Docs? Doctors' Notes: Toothache
Mar 10, 2026
A lively dive into the history of dentistry, from barber-surgeons to modern extraction techniques. They cover how pain, consent and emergency decisions shape treatment choices. Discussion on rising childhood decay, the role of diet and acid erosion, and why interdental cleaning matters. They also consider long-term effects of tooth loss on nutrition and social life.
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Dentistry Originated With Barber-Surgeons
- Dentistry evolved from barber-surgeons who combined haircuts, bloodletting and tooth extractions without sterile technique or local anaesthetic.
- Xand van Tulleken and Praveen Sharma describe this legacy as the source of dentistry's rough reputation and risky historical practice.
Push Down Before Pulling A Tooth
- To extract a tooth safely, apply downward pressure first to break the periodontal ligaments, then deliver the tooth upward and out.
- Pulling up without pushing slacks the ligaments and risks failed extraction and more damage, explains Praveen Sharma.
Patients Choose Extraction When Pain Is Severe
- Praveen Sharma recalls extreme willingness to accept any treatment when in severe dental pain, including extraction.
- He says dental students and patients often choose anything that guarantees immediate pain relief.