Are false teeth false? And if so, when did their history begin. False teeth are not false at all. They are teeth taken from another human or animal and used on another. Those who have been to school believe the history of false teeth started with the schoolyard story tale of George Washington. The story tells that George Washington used wood to make wooden teeth. Even though this is a story that is believed to be where the history of false teeth started, researchers, denturists, and lab technicians know there is much more to the story.
EARLIEST RECORDS
What do the early records say? The earliest form of dentures recording was made around the seventh century BC. Etruscans developed the art of fashion dentures from animal and human teeth. The Etruscans also used the art of cutting an individual’s teeth and recycling them as replacements later on. During their civilization, the art they performed on teeth ended but later re-emerged in the 1700s, where they practiced making dentures. From this, you can learn that the Etruscans are the ones who introduced false teeth to the rest of the world.
THE 1700’S
In the 1700s, sugar was readily available all around Europe. Most people in Europe consume a lot of sugar without knowing or being ignorant of the consequences. Their consumption of a lot of sugar led to tooth decay. The tooth decay was severe because tooth-saving techniques had not yet been innovated. It was scarce to find someone in their 50s with strong, healthy teeth. Most people had missing teeth as early as they reached their 20s, most needed false teeth. Due to the demand for false teeth among the people, the art of false teeth had to be created.
EARLY TYPES OF TEETH
Today, modern technology has allowed us to access dentures that are comfortable and easy to use. The same case does not apply to earlier on. Earlier on, people using dentures had difficulties fitting them in their mouths. They were not durable or comfortable at all too. Here are some techniques used in the past to make false teeth.
IVORY
Ivory from animals such as elephants and hippopotamuses helped make false teeth. This is one of the earliest materials there was that was used in making false teeth. Even though the teeth made from ivory tended to decay fast and did not look natural, it got the job done. Most people kept using ivory for their teeth even after better teeth were invented in the 18th century.
WATERLOO TEETH
The best dentures were usually made from human teeth. The human teeth used to make the waterloo were primarily robbed from graves and peasants. The teeth were also collected from dead soldiers. The waterloo teeth were awful, which meant they had to be removed during eating to avoid decay.
CONCLUSION The history of teeth is essential for us to understand. Like modern technology has allowed somnomed to provide better health solutions, it has also provided comfortable and durable false teeth. The history of teeth also equips us with the origin of the false teeth we use today.
