The road to straighter teeth is getting easier
Article Source: HealthSnare.com
Although traditional metal braces look like something straight from a Science Fiction movie, their history may be traced back to antiquity. The American Association of Orthodontists reports that mummies who have crude wires wrapped around individual teeth or groups of teeth have been unearthed via archaeological excavations.
The ages of braces
These ancient teeth-straightening practices did not end here. It is thought that catgut, a type of thick cord constructed from the natural fibre found in the intestinal walls of certain animals, was used to bind the teeth to close gaps in the mouth.
From gold wires binding teeth found in a Roman tomb in Egypt to the discovery that the Estruscans used various dental appliances to create space between teeth that were overcrowded, straight teeth have been the talk of history and the pursuance of them is an aesthetic desire sought after for centuries.
Historical evidence suggests that straight teeth were on the mind of such historical figures as Aristotle and Hippocrates, who both schemed about ways to straighten teeth and fix dental conditions.
The origin of 'orthodontics'
Orthodontics is the practice of making teeth straight, the word is a marriage of two Greek words, ‘orthos,' meaning straight or proper and ‘odous' meaning tooth. Although we have evidence that suggests orthodontics has been in practice since before the birth of Christ, major field advances were not made until the 1700s when Frenchman Pierre Fauchard published "The Surgeon Dentist," which contained an entire chapter on teeth straightening. It wasn't until 1757 when another French dentist, Etienne Bordet, proved jaw growth. This discovery and Fauchard's work are considered the first important works to the science of orthodontics, both of which led to the first orthodontic devices being created.
In the 1700s, we have the emergence of the use of precious metals to form tools for reshaping and realigning the mouth and teeth. In addition to the use of precious metals, wood was a popular substitute for teeth. History attests that a set of choppers were carved to fit the mouth of the United States of America's first president, George Washington.
Getting there...
With the turn of the century came advances in orthodontics that mirror the types of technology we are accustomed to seeing today. For instance, appliances could now be used to treat specific teeth that were in need of realigning such as the ‘E-Arch,' a metal band used to realign the molars. The E-Arch led to an appliance that greatly mirrors traditional train track braces: the Pin and Tube Appliance. This appliance, which was created in 1910, allowed for teeth other than molars to be banded. This device was also used to successfully move three teeth simultaneously for the first time, which opened the door even wider for reconstructive orthodontics.
From here, appliances were created using various materials and with various results in mind. The world of orthodontics was emboldened by the feats of the previously mentioned appliances and suddenly, any tooth seemed eligible for realigning. Appliances such as the Ribbon Arch and Edgewise were invented in the wake of the Pin and Tube appliance to correct a single crooked tooth and to bridge gaps, respectively.
Modern braces
This technology paved the way for the traditional metal braces in common use today. As the desire for straight teeth and perfect oral aesthetics increases, technology continues to advance and today we are afforded the luxury to choose from a variety of teeth straightening devices including invisible braces, braces of varying colours and braces with enhanced result time, boasting of the ability to cut the time required for teeth realignment from years to mere months.
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Matt Dabomb
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Date: Sat, 6 Nov 2010 Time: 12:04 AM
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