Dude I just found out barbers used to pull teeth back in the day

I was reading some random history article while waiting for my kid's dentist appointment last week and it said barbers did surgery and pulled teeth up until like the 1800s. Apparently they were called barber-surgeons and even had their own guild. Wild right? I mean I've nicked an ear before but I can't imagine yanking a molar between haircuts. Has anyone else run into weird old barber facts like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark_price4d ago

idk, I kinda feel like people blow this out of proportion. like yeah barbers pulled teeth but it wasn't like they were doing brain surgery in between fading someone's beard. It was mostly just yanking out loose or rotten teeth that any random guy could've done with a pair of pliers and some whiskey. plus the whole "guild" thing was just a way to control who could do what trade back then, not some big statement on dental expertise. maybe it's just me but I think we romanticize how rough old medicine was.

uma_martinez4d ago

Yeah @mark_price has a point, people act like barbers were doing open heart surgery when it was just yanking bad teeth.