History of Non-Dentists Providing Denture Care

Unlike in modern times, routine dental care remained out of the reach of the masses for most of history. For those with enough money, dentures made of wood, ivory or even human teeth were available.

What are They?

• Dentures, prosthetics made of plastic, fit inside the mouth of patients lacking teeth. Options include full or partial dentures and even dental implants. Dentures allow patients to eat and speak without impediment.

Dental Pioneers

• Around 7,000 B.C., craftsmen performed some of the earliest known dental procedures in the Indus Valley. Ancient Egyptian physicians were known to place bridges made of gold wire in patient's mouths. Monks, barbers and general physicians performed many of the dental procedures from the Middle Ages to the mid 19th century

Early Dentures

• Etruscans crafted dentures from animal or human teeth around 700 B.C.. In Japan, the first wooden dentures similar to modern designs appeared in the early 1500s and were used until the late 19th century. Near the 17th century, early dentists such as barbers and general physicians offered bone-carved dentures and later porcelain models.

Problems

• Early dentures posed many problems, including poor fit and discomfort. Animal teeth used in dentures tended to rot quickly. Among some of the more serious problems of human teeth used in dentures was the possible transmission of disease.