Monday, October 21, 2013

Dental Did You Know

The History of Braces




Braces are assumed to be a relatively modern concept but archaeologists have found evidence suggesting ancient people were mummified with metal bands wrapped around certain teeth.  The earliest remains to have this evidence date back to 2022 - 2032 BC!  Back then, cat intestines were used to close gaps in teeth instead of the metal orthodontic wires we use today.

Around 400 - 500 BC, Hippocrates and Aristotle both wrote about the ways to straighten teeth and fix various oral problems.   

The Etruscans (the people in Italy before Romans) have also been found to use orthodontic techniques, burying their dead with appliances that were meant to maintain space and keep the dentition from collapsing during their lives.  

Although all of that experimentation occurred during the history of orthodontics, none of it was really found to work until the 1700s after much progress in the dental field.


Source: http://www.archwired.com/HistoryofOrtho.htm


R. Eric Emery, DDS
Morgan A. Emery, DDS

Smile Station Dental
2901 Dougherty Ferry Rd, Suite 400
St. Louis, MO 63122
(314)821-7100
smilestationdental.com
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