this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] petl@feddit.org 77 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painless_Parker

He legally changed his first name to "Painless" when he was accused of breaking a false advertisement law by claiming that his dentistry was truly painless.[1][2] When business thrived, he hired assistants and established a chain dentistry business.[2] In the end, Parker ran 28 West Coast dental offices, employing over 70 dentists, and grossing $3 million per year.

[–] hraegsvelmir@lemm.ee 26 points 5 days ago

The wild part is what's cut off in the bottom section.

However, "Much of what he championed—patient advocacy, increased access to dental care, and advertising—has come to pass in the U.S.

So I guess, possibly not as bad as the opening line makes him sound, and perhaps even an improvement over the standards of the time

Some other choice sections.

The band attracted large crowds and hid the moans and cries of patients who were given whiskey or a cocaine solution that he called "hydrocaine" to numb the pain.[2] He charged 50 cents for each extraction and promised that if it hurt, he would pay the patient $5.

he Historical Dental Museum at the Temple University School of Dentistry has a display dedicated to Parker, with his necklace of 357 teeth and a large wooden bucket filled to the brim with teeth that he had personally pulled. The bucket of teeth sat by his feet as he lectured the crowds on the importance of dental hygiene.

Almost sounds like the guy may have been maligned by his fellow dentists for calling them out on their BS.

[–] ShaunaTheDead@fedia.io 27 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That's also where the concept of a "barbershop quartet" came from. Dentists would have the aforementioned quartet singing loudly outside of their shop to drown out the screaming of patients inside.

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 17 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I love how street dentist is a blue link.

[–] vulture_god@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_dentistry

In 1998, a man was arrested in Van Nuys, California for operating an unlicensed dental practice out of the back of a toy store in a strip mall.

[–] dharmacurious@slrpnk.net 8 points 5 days ago

Honestly, as someone who's lacked dental care for 15 years, while it surprises me "street dentist" is a term, what surprises me the most is that I've never considered trying to find one. Lol. I've pulled my own teeth, why did I never consider finding a shady dude to do it for me?

[–] pseudo@jlai.lu 5 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Did the concept of "arracheur de dent" didn't exist in North America?

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 8 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Is that a French phrase or is it supposed to be a guy talking with the cotton and suction hose in his mouth?

[–] pseudo@jlai.lu 2 points 5 days ago

It is suppose to be a guy coming to local market to put out the teeth of however cannot pay for dentist. It would usually come with a band to hide the cry of the "patient" and would commonly lie by telling to be able to do it painlessly. Exactly like the qikipedia describe it.

[–] nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

A concept doesn't become acceptable just because the French have a term for it. Usually that's a red flag.

[–] pseudo@jlai.lu 2 points 5 days ago

It was still pretty common at that time in France. It's not fine to pretend to be painless however it was a commun line in the trade. It has give us the saying "mentir comme (lying like) un arracheur de dent".