John Mankey Riggs was the leading authority on periodontal disease

Periodontal disease

Periodontitis is a set of inflammatory diseases affecting the periodontium, i.e., the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth...

 and its treatment in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, to the point that periodontal disease was known as "Riggs' disease

Riggs' disease

Riggs' disease, also known as pyorrhea of a toothsocket or gingivitis expulsiva, is a purulent inflammation of the dental periosteum named after American dentist John W. Riggs ....

."

Biography

Riggs was born in Seymour

Seymour, Connecticut

Seymour is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named for Governor Thomas H. Seymour. The population was 15,454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 and graduated from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery

Baltimore College of Dental Surgery

The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, , is the birthplace of the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree , and is known as the first dental college in the world.- History :...

 in 1854.

He practiced dentistry in Hartford

Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

, 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

Horace Wells

Horace Wells was an American dentist who pioneered the use of anaesthesia in dentistry, specifically nitrous oxide .-Life:...

, 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

Nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic...

.

Role in early periodontology

Riggs was an opponent of periodontal surgery, which at the time consisted of gingival

Gingiva

The gingiva , or gums, consists of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth.-General description:...

 resection

Segmental resection

Segmental resection is a surgical procedure to remove part of an organ or gland. It may also be used to remove a tumor and normal tissue around it. In lung cancer surgery, segmental resection refers to removing a section of a lobe of the lung.- External links :* entry in the public domain NCI...

. 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

Tincture

A tincture is an alcoholic extract or solution of a non-volatile substance . To qualify as a tincture, the alcoholic extract is to have an ethanol percentage of at least 40-60%...

 of powdered myrrh

Myrrh

Myrrh is the aromatic oleoresin of a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus Commiphora, which grow in dry, stony soil. An oleoresin is a natural blend of an essential oil and a resin. Myrrh resin is a natural gum....

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