While there are thousands of articles online about how people are more image-obsessed than ever due to things like social media, the truth is that people have always cared a lot about their appearance. That’s why historians and archeologists have found evidence of cosmetic dentistry across every period of recorded history. If you were in Ancient Egypt or the Roman Empire, and you wanted whiter teeth…what could you do? Are there any methods from then that we still use today?
They Did WHAT?!
The Etruscans were an ancient civilization in what is now Italy, and they held themselves to a very high standard when it came to personal aesthetics, including their teeth. While they initially used everything from ivory to animal bones and teeth as replacements (usually held together using gold bands), they made the jump to using something that faintly resembles modern-day dental crowns around 200 AD.
The ancient Egyptians took a much more direct approach—hammering seashells into the gums and using toothpaste made using pumice stone and vinegar to eliminate stains. While that might make you wince, it’s not like the Roman Empire—the main ingredient in their toothpaste was urine because it’s rich in ammonium, a natural teeth-whitening agent. Imagine how hard it would be to find the motivation to brush every day!
It Gets Better…Sort Of
Fast forward a few centuries, and if you were unhappy with your smile, you wouldn’t visit a dentist, but rather your local barber. “Dentistry” as we know it wasn’t a defined concept even though people made efforts to take care of their teeth. If you wanted a brighter smile in the 13th century, your friendly neighborhood barber might coat your teeth with acid. This would certainly remove stains, but also take the enamel with it…ouch!
Porcelain dentures were invented around 1770 in France, and after evolving through the 1800s, acrylics, resins, and other plastics started to be utilized in this new and innovative field called dentistry. In 1903, the first porcelain crown appeared. While they looked natural, they were extremely brittle, so the treatment didn’t become popular until porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns came around in the 1950s.
The Modern Day
Getting closer to now, dental materials continued to evolve, giving cosmetic dentists access to materials that were both aesthetically pleasing and strong enough to withstand daily chewing. Porcelain veneers (popularized by Hollywood stars in the 1930s and still used today) and crowns became common, as did teeth whitening using gels made using hydrogen or carbamide peroxide (which remove stains while preserving the enamel).
Needless to say, now is the best time to be alive if you want to enhance your smile. Whether you want to change the color, the shape, the spacing, or everything, it’s possible using treatments that are comfortable, beautiful, and can be trusted to last. Think about it—you have access to better care than even the Egyptian Pharaohs or Roman Emperors!
About the Author
Dr. Ira Goldberg is a skilled cosmetic and implant dentist with nearly 30 years of experience helping patients feel confident in their smiles. He earned his dental degree from the University of Michigan and has advanced training in both surgical and restorative procedures. Dr. Goldberg is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and ranked as one of the Top Dentists in the country by the Consumer’s Research Council of America.
Whether you want to fix one problem tooth or get a dramatic makeover, you’ll find the expertise and artistic eye you need right here in Succasunna. Click here or call (973) 313-5314 to schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation at Morris County Dental Associates.