Investigating the State of Dentistry in the Safavid Period

Abstract

Dentistry has been one of the oldest branches of knowledge in the field of medicine. This medical discipline has undergone various changes throughout different historical periods. During the Safavid period (1135-907 AH), practitioners showed a keen interest in dentistry, and numerous medical texts were written in this field, serving as valuable sources of information about the medical conditions of that era. It appears that dentistry in the Safavid era did not experience significant transformation compared to previous periods and largely imitated the achievements of earlier practitioners. The primary topics of focus in Safavid dentistry included the treatment of toothaches, prevention of dental diseases, polishing and whitening of teeth, management of gum diseases, and pediatric dentistry. The most notable remedies prescribed by the medical community of the Safavid era for treating various dental ailments involved the use of Sanun, a concoction made from several herbal ingredients believed to alleviate or cure dental diseases. The main resource for this research was the medical texts from the Safavid era.

Keywords

• safavid
• dentistry
• toothache
• gums
• medicine
• tooth