Throughout history, people from all social classes have suffered from toothaches: Pharaohs, Elizabeth I, Louis XIV, and George Washington all had very few teeth left in their mouths by a young age. In ancient times, the tooth worm was blamed for the pain, and attempts were made to drive it away through fumigation. Later, the radical and brutal extraction of decayed teeth became the norm, which brought significant (and especially painful) side effects. It wasn't until the 19th century that dentistry developed into a scientifically recognized discipline with increasingly pain-free treatment methods. The horrors of the past are no longer present during routine check-ups today. However, a vague fear of the dentist is still familiar to many people. Medical historian Richard Barnett shares many entertaining anecdotes on this topic.