Daily AncestorDentist
A dentist treated the teeth and mouth, filling, pulling and replacing teeth.
In both France and China the first people to practice dentistry were barbers, who pulled teeth along with their other work. The world's first dental school and national dental organization were founded in the 1840s, and with them the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree.
The 1900 census instructions list dentist among the professions to be named exactly, and the 1930 instructions treat doctors, lawyers and dentists who spent time at their offices as at work.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1850 to 1900 census
Elmer Vandeveer, 42, Dentist, Ohio
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Daily Ancestor. "Dentist." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/dentist. Last checked 2026-10-12.