The first dental monograph published in Swedish.

"Joel Assur was born in Bernburg, Germany as the son of the Jewish merchant Anschel Levin Joel Assur and Zipora Joel. He emigrated from Mecklenburg in 1791, and established himself as a dentist in Stockholm . He is referred to as "one of Sweden's first dentists". Assur was successful and had a high reputation. He was appointed chief dentist with the title of Congl. Hovdentist.

"At this time, the dental profession was not fully formalized in Sweden, except that since 1663 permission was required to practice it and that they were prohibited from practicing other forms of medical care. The profession was practiced by surgeons, quackers, barbers and bathers who called themselves "dental doctors", "dentists", "dental doctors" or "dental artists". It was not until 1797 that a controlled degree began to be required, and the profession was formalized, and Assur was one of the first legitimate dentists in the modern sense.

"In 1799 he published a book on dentistry. It was a pioneer script: he was the first in Sweden to urge the public to brush their teeth with toothbrush and toothpaste, and warned of the sugar's bad effects on teeth. In his book, he admitted that dentists during this time "bear enough general contempt and are counted in the same class with Charlatans and Adventurers" (Wikipedia article on Joel Assur, accessed 5-2020).