For years, orthodontists have been working on improving their customer’s oral health. From toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental care, all the way to mouth wash and braces. You might be sat there wearing braces, or you might be sat there thinking they look painful and you are glad you have never had them.
But have you ever wondered where it all began? Where did braces come from? And how have we come to know them as a common part of growing up nowadays? London City Smiles have put together a history of braces for you to enjoy.
Where did it all begin?
Ancient Egyptians
Back in the day, the ancient Egyptians day that is, they loved as much as we do, finding a way to achieve that perfect smile. Archaeologists discovered that the first signs of an orthodontists method’s being used were discovered because there were hundreds of mummified ancient Egyptians with metals bands wrapped around their teeth.
It was also believed that one of the first braces in the Egyptians time was made from catgut which is a type of animal intestine. They used this to wrap around all the teeth and pull them closer together so that they don’t have any gaps between them.
The Romans
Once the romans were in the picture, it was only a matter of time until they were too trying their hand at orthodontics. They created a dental device called a ligature wire which was a gold wire inserted inside the mouth to help close off noticeable gaps. Gold was used because it was extremely easy to mould when heated.
But these methods were only implemented for the rich and wealthy because no one else could afford them.
After this talk of orthodontics was next noticed in journals in the 1770s, people began to take notice of how smiles looked, whether teeth were perfectly straight or not and what options were out there to help improve that.
The 1900s
Jump forward a couple of years and we are in the 1900s. The time of the computer, the perm and the leg warmers.
In the early 1920s the first brace was fitted. In those times braces were made of everything from wood and gold, to ivory and silver. The gold and silver was the preferred option if you could afford it because it was easy to manage. The other materials such as wood and ivory seemed to help find the perfect smile, but left you with some splinters along the way.
Present Day
The orthodontics industry today still continues to research and explore other methods of finding you that perfect smile. Whether it is cosmetic dentistry, braces, retainers or anything else, it is much easier to straighten and fix any problems with your teeth.
One of the latest techniques is the Invisalign Brace which were first tested in the 1970s. With the promise of straight, perfect teeth, people will go for miles for a fix, but one of the big draw backs of traditional metal wire braces is they can be quite an eye saw. You might be sat at the kitchen table with a mouth full of metal braces, and then have your food stuck in these braces because they are hard to manage.
Let’s hope we can wave goodbye to painful trips to the dentist and food in the braces, and embrace invisible braces instead!
