The History of Orthodontics

Orthodontics was the first special designation in the field of dentistry. It was created to expand on the usual set of skills a dentist learns. Typically, the field involves the replacement and repositioning of misaligned or missing teeth. Orthodontists are often considered dentists for braces. That is a little bit simplistic but pretty close to the truth. The field actually dates back thousands of years.

History

Originally, dentistry began as a branch of medicine. Archaeologists researching ancient civilisations have found mummies with metal bands wrapped around individual teeth. They assume that these bands were meant to function in the same manner as modern braces. These ancient bands and modern braces are meant to address malocclusion. This is not a disorder. Instead, it is a misalignment of the teeth or the way the teeth, upper and lower, fit together. Almost one-third of the population is considered to have malocclusion.

It is unknown how effective these solutions for malocclusions by ancient orthodontists were. However, the replacements for missing teeth were notoriously ineffective well into the 20th century. Until the 20th century, dental implants were not effective at anchoring false teeth. Many dentures were fastened by fixing the false teeth to the existing real teeth.

George Washington

The first president of the United States, George Washington, is very famous for his teeth. In the United States, many children learn that Washington had a set of wooden dentures. While he owned many different sets of dentures, none of them was wooden. According to Washington’s own account, he had many different infections and illnesses through his twenties. His dental issues began when he was twenty-two. Despite brushing daily, he would lose all of his teeth by the time he was 57 years old.

He used the tooth care tools of the times. These involved toothbrushes and tooth powders instead of paste. The powders were often made from borax, roots, pumice, herbs, bread, or even tobacco. However, many of these powders were actually not very effective at cleaning teeth. Instead, they could be abrasive enough to degrade the enamel of the teeth.

In 1789, when he was inaugurated as the first president of the United States, he had only one natural tooth. Her full set of dentures were made from two different materials. The top dentures were made from hippopotamus ivory. The lower dentures were eight human teeth affixed to a base. The dentures were secured to the mouth with springs.

He lived for ten more years, and it is generally understood that he was in constant pain. The crude nature of the dentures often led to abscesses and infections in his mouth. Some portraits of him even feature a scar on his cheek from some sort of dental surgery.

The techniques for replacing missing teeth have improved considerably. The techniques dental surgeons use in the 21st century are incredibly advanced, safe, and effective. Affixing false teeth to the gums is a fairly routine procedure these days. It is a three step procedure that involves two surgeries though they are fairly minor surgeries.