author
Vincenzo Guerini
1859–1955
A pioneering Italian dentist and historian, he is best remembered for a landmark early history of dentistry that traced the field from ancient civilizations to the end of the eighteenth century. His work helped turn dental history into a serious subject of study rather than a footnote to medicine.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Working in Naples, Vincenzo Guerini built a reputation not only as a surgeon-dentist but also as a scholar of his profession. Sources connected with his major book describe him as dentist by appointment to the Royal House, dentist of the surgical clinic of the University of Naples, editor of the Italian review L’Odonto-Stomatologia, and honorary president for life of the Italian Odontological Society.
He is most closely associated with A History of Dentistry from the Most Ancient Times until the End of the Eighteenth Century, published in 1909. The book follows dental practice across the ancient world and early modern Europe, gathering together texts, instruments, and traditions from many cultures into one long historical narrative.
For listeners interested in medical history, Guerini stands out as a writer who treated dentistry as part of the larger story of science and civilization. Even more than a century later, his best-known work remains a rich window into how people once understood teeth, pain, surgery, and the slow development of professional care.