Back before there were Dentists, pulling a tooth to relieve pain was just a way of life.
It wasn't even uncommon for a local barber to be the one doing the pulling.
Before anyone new anything about what caused cavities or began to think about how to fill them, the only solution to calm a toothache was to take the tooth out.
Having multiple spaces or gaps was normal and sometimes people would even have no teeth at all.
Only those who were more fortunate and had wealth could afford to have a make-shift set a teeth made for them to help with chewing.
In fact, in the 1800s, having a full set of teeth was even a sign of nobility to many! The idea to replace missing teeth dates back to as early as 700BC.
In Italy, teeth were found bound with gold wire to attach human or animal teeth to their existing teeth.
Similarly, ancient Egyptian remains dating back to 300BC had tooth replacements held in place with a gold wire.
But what about if you were missing ALL your teeth? What then? Different cultures all over the world found unique remedies for tooth loss.
In the 1500s, Japanese dentures were found with teeth carved out of wood and were held in by suction, much like a modern denture.
Others, were carved 100% out of ivory.
Back in America, the idea came to set human, animal or ivory teeth with a gold frame and incorporated springs to help hold the denture in the mouth.
Finally, in the 1800s, the discovery of Vulcanite, which is a form of rubber, was used to hold porcelain teeth in place which gave dentures a more realistic look.
And with that, by the 20th century, acrylics and other plastics changed the denture world forever.
Now dentures are made out of hard acrylics, but can even be lined with a soft cure for more comfort.
The best part is that dentures now are almost unnoticeable anymore.
Oftentimes, denture wearers are more happy with the look of their new set of porcelain teeth than they were with their own.
You can literally customize the look that you want by changing the shape, size, and even color of the teeth to be fitted to a denture.
Even still, dentures have the negative rep for being "floppy", that they fall out when you talk, or don't fit right.
With the innovation of dental implants, dentists are now able to incorporate implants with dentures that "snap" in and out of the mouth for more stability.
Implants are titanium root replacements that are seated into the jaw bone and after osseointegration (when the bone grows around the implant), the implants are ready to retrofitted to a denture.
Beyond even the best fitting denture, implants have opened up a whole new way to replace a full mouth of missing teeth.
The "Cadillac" of scenarios involves placing multiple implants per arch and placing fixed bridges that span all around the mouth.
Bridges are glued into place and are permanent restorations, giving you a full set of teeth that will last a lifetime.
It wasn't even uncommon for a local barber to be the one doing the pulling.
Before anyone new anything about what caused cavities or began to think about how to fill them, the only solution to calm a toothache was to take the tooth out.
Having multiple spaces or gaps was normal and sometimes people would even have no teeth at all.
Only those who were more fortunate and had wealth could afford to have a make-shift set a teeth made for them to help with chewing.
In fact, in the 1800s, having a full set of teeth was even a sign of nobility to many! The idea to replace missing teeth dates back to as early as 700BC.
In Italy, teeth were found bound with gold wire to attach human or animal teeth to their existing teeth.
Similarly, ancient Egyptian remains dating back to 300BC had tooth replacements held in place with a gold wire.
But what about if you were missing ALL your teeth? What then? Different cultures all over the world found unique remedies for tooth loss.
In the 1500s, Japanese dentures were found with teeth carved out of wood and were held in by suction, much like a modern denture.
Others, were carved 100% out of ivory.
Back in America, the idea came to set human, animal or ivory teeth with a gold frame and incorporated springs to help hold the denture in the mouth.
Finally, in the 1800s, the discovery of Vulcanite, which is a form of rubber, was used to hold porcelain teeth in place which gave dentures a more realistic look.
And with that, by the 20th century, acrylics and other plastics changed the denture world forever.
Now dentures are made out of hard acrylics, but can even be lined with a soft cure for more comfort.
The best part is that dentures now are almost unnoticeable anymore.
Oftentimes, denture wearers are more happy with the look of their new set of porcelain teeth than they were with their own.
You can literally customize the look that you want by changing the shape, size, and even color of the teeth to be fitted to a denture.
Even still, dentures have the negative rep for being "floppy", that they fall out when you talk, or don't fit right.
With the innovation of dental implants, dentists are now able to incorporate implants with dentures that "snap" in and out of the mouth for more stability.
Implants are titanium root replacements that are seated into the jaw bone and after osseointegration (when the bone grows around the implant), the implants are ready to retrofitted to a denture.
Beyond even the best fitting denture, implants have opened up a whole new way to replace a full mouth of missing teeth.
The "Cadillac" of scenarios involves placing multiple implants per arch and placing fixed bridges that span all around the mouth.
Bridges are glued into place and are permanent restorations, giving you a full set of teeth that will last a lifetime.