Dentures: Centuries back, they used to be made with the teeth of martyred soldiers!
Root canal treatments are painful and can be your worst nightmare. However, before these treatments were invented, replacing the space left after removing a decayed tooth with artificial dentures was the only solution! Dentures were invented only in the 7th century by the Etruscans, in ancient Italy, using both human and animal teeth. These ancient dentures were not made of strong materials that could sustain the pressure from the jaw, rendering them ineffective in everyday life. They were therefore used only for aesthetic reasons. Etruscans were also known to use gold wires to make the dentures fashionable. Although this art vanished along with their civilisation, it reappeared in the 1700s with the invention of modern dentures. Since then, there has been no looking back for dentures. Let’s see how these false teeth have evolved over time.
From beeswax to porcelain dentures
In the 16th century, people began making dentures that functioned similarly to those we see today. Japanese woodworkers were the earliest people to create dentures from materials such as glue and beeswax. Later, human teeth, animal teeth, animal horns, and pagodite were added to the wooden denture bases. Eventually, porcelain dentures were introduced in 1774 by a French man named Alexis Duchateau. However, they were prone to frequent breaking and looked too white from an aesthetic standpoint. Moreover, they gave quite a shock to the pocket!
Ivory dentures of the 18th century
As sugar gained enormous popularity in Europe in the 18th century, dental problems shot up. As expected, demand for dentures and tooth restorations increased. Using the teeth of martyred soldiers was one standard solution that gained popularity during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. However, their biggest drawback was that they would swiftly degrade and readily come out as there was no blood supply to the tooth. Eventually, when there were no bodies to scavenge, you could see advertisements in newspapers asking for the donation of teeth in exchange for cash! Incredible, isn’t it?
Soon, people started using ivory to make dentures. However, due to the short lifespan of ivory and porcelain dentures, and the increasing demand for new teeth, goldsmiths started experimenting with porcelain and gold plates. These components were combined with extra springs and swivels to create a contraption in 1820 that made dentures seem more natural.
In 1839, a vulcanite-based porcelain substitute was developed by Charles Goodyear, a self-taught American chemist. These vulcanite dentures could be moulded to fit a person’s gums and were significantly less expensive than porcelain and gold. Their popularity continued until acrylic dentures came into the picture in the 20th century.
Modern dentures of the 20th century
Around this time, dentures began to be made of acrylic resin and other polymers. Neo-hecolite, developed in 1934, was the first acrylic resin made accessible to the dental industry. A further advancement occurred in 1935, when a powder-liquid acrylic prototype was introduced. Crown and bridge treatments, as well as denture construction, were revolutionised by dental acrylic resin. Today, acrylic is the most common material used to create denture bases, teeth, temporary crowns and bridgework. However, composite or porcelain are also used.
Famous personalities who had dentures
Until recently, dentures were affordable only by affluent people. Ivory dentures were not popular during Queen Elizabeth’s reign from 1558–1603. She had no other choice but to attend public events with pieces of fabric stuffed into the spaces between her teeth! In his twenties, George Washington started losing teeth to decay. He hired multiple dentists to design fake teeth from the best materials. Dr John Baker made a partial ivory denture to wire Washington’s surviving teeth. For the president’s inauguration in 1789, Dr John Greenwood of New York later created an innovative denture out of hippopotamus ivory. Washington later offered Dr Greenwood his last surviving tooth as a thank-you note. Talk about a strange way of expressing gratitude!