Pierre Fauchard

Pierre Fauchard
Portrait of Fauchard by J. Le. Bel
Born(1679-01-02)2 January 1679
Died21 March 1761(1761-03-21) (aged 82)
Known forIntroduction of many dental practices
AwardsThe Pierre Fauchard Academy is named after him
Scientific career
FieldsMedicine, dentistry
InstitutionsFrench Royal Navy, Hospital of the University of Angers

Pierre Fauchard (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ foʃaʁ]; 2 January 1679 – 21 March 1761) was a French physician, credited as being the "father of modern dentistry". He is widely known for writing the first complete scientific description of dentistry, Le Chirurgien Dentiste ("The Surgeon Dentist"), published in 1728. The book described basic oral anatomy and function, signs and symptoms of oral pathology, operative methods for removing decay and restoring teeth, periodontal disease (pyorrhea), orthodontics, replacement of missing teeth, and tooth transplantation.