Innovation No. 5 of 77 in the book
The Dentist
Hesy-Ra is named in his tomb as “Chief of Dentists”
- When
- c. 2650 BCE
- Dynasty
- 3rd Dynasty
- Era
- Old Kingdom
The first person in history known by name as a dentist is Hesy-Ra, an official of the Third Dynasty around 2650 BCE, whose tomb titles him ‘Chief of Dentists and Physicians.’
That title alone tells you there were enough dentists to need a chief. Egyptian teeth needed them: desert grit in the bread ground molars flat and exposed the nerves.
Skulls survive with abscesses drilled to drain the pressure, and two teeth bridged together with gold wire — early dental work built to hold.
Dentistry began here as its own recognized profession, with a named leader, five thousand years ago.
His mastaba tomb, S2405 in the northern Saqqara necropolis, dates to the reign of Djoser, around 2650 BCE. Auguste Mariette found it in 1861; James Quibell excavated it properly in 1910–12. It held eleven carved wooden panels, of which six survive, each about 110 centimetres tall and now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. They are acacia, long misidentified as cedar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the translation of his title settled?
Effectively, yes. Early twentieth-century readings sometimes offered "Chief of Ivory Cutters", because the tusk glyph carries both meanings. Current linguistic consensus reads it as Chief of Dentists and Physicians — literally, great one of the tooth-cutters and healers.
Why did Egyptian teeth wear out so badly?
Grit. Sand and stone dust from the grinding querns ended up in the bread, and chewing it filed the molars flat until the nerve was exposed. It is visible on almost every surviving Egyptian jaw, rich or poor.