Paediatric dentistry: Fauchard and before.

Although conventional wisdom suggests that paediatric dentistry was not practised until the early twentieth century it was in fact recorded in much earlier times. The authors detail many authors and books from previous centuries concerned with weaning, infant feeding, remedies for teething pains and eruption. Further details include the early advice on the avoidance of caries and the beginnings of the specialty of orthodontics.