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Pierre Fauchard
("father of dentistry")

ON
TOOTH AS BONE; ENAMEL AS FINGERNAIL

Pierre Fauchard (acknowledged "father of dentistry", early 18th Century) clearly regarded the tooth to be a bone:

"Teeth considered in their natural condition are the whitest, hardest, and most compact bones of the human body."
"When the tooth is loosened, it is an incipient luxation."

Fauchard regarded the enamel as analogous to a fingernail or horn, quoting M. de la Hire, mathematician and member of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Memoires of the Academy 1699:

"'[Enamel] is composed of an infinity of little filaments, which are attached on the inside of the tooth by their roots, almosts like the nails and the horns are to the parts where they are attached. ... '"
"M. de la Hire is persuaded that the growth of these filaments takes place like the nails."

Fauchard relates de la Hire's observation that these filaments may be in bundles, particularly in the base of molars where separation of bundles can be seen.

"'If the end of the filaments wear away little by little the separation of the two bundles will increase sufficiently to receive some hard parts of the food; and then there will be a little aperture on the base of the tooth. The interior part of the tooth is opened up and consequently the tooth will be lost.'"
Fauchard disagrees, based on observations of older persons with enamel worn down. However, Fauchard concedes: "I assert, nevertheless, that the fibres of the enamel once worn away are never replaced ... ." [10]

Presented on 5 November 1999 to the "Health Practitioners Network", at Lowe's Hotel, Santa Monica, presented by Ms. Francene Lee and featuring Dr. Ted Rozema, M.D. on chelation.

S. H. Shakman
INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE

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