John Mankey Riggs (October 25, 1811 – November 11, 1885) was the leading authority on periodontal disease and its treatment in the United States, to the point that periodontal disease was known as "

Riggs' disease Riggs' disease, also known as pyorrhea of a toothsocket or gingivitis expulsiva, is a historical term for periodontitis (gum disease), The condition was described as a purulent inflammation of the dental periosteum. It was named after American den ...

."Shklar, G; Carranza, FA: The Historical Background of Periodontology. In Newman, MG; Takei, HH; Carrana FA, editors: ''Carranza’s Clinical Periodontology'', 9th Edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 2002. page 7.

Biography

Riggs was born in Seymour, Connecticut and graduated from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in 1854. He practiced dentistry in Hartford, and was seemingly the first individual to limit his practice to periodontics; he is thus considered to be the first specialist in the field. Riggs was an associate of Horace Wells, and was the first surgeon to operate with a patient under anesthesia by extracting Wells' tooth in 1844 while he was under the influence of nitrous oxide.

Role in early periodontology

Riggs was an opponent of periodontal surgery, which at the time consisted of gingival resection. He promoted the concept of proper oral hygiene and prevention. Riggs first demonstrated his method of conventional periodontal therapy in 1856: he removed salivary and serumal deposits and necrosed bone from the teeth with scrapers that he designed. He then applied a tincture of powdered

myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

and polished the teeth. He published his treatment in 1876.

Merriam-Webster Merriam-Webster, Inc. is an American company that publishes reference books and is especially known for its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States. In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the company as ...

's Medical Desk Dictionary, Revised Edition. Springfield, Mass. 2002. page 721.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, John Mankey 1811 births 1885 deaths People from Seymour, Connecticut American dentists Periodontists 19th-century dentists