A History of Braces and 10 TV Characters Who Wore Them Well

“..it’s a good thing too, otherwise the dentist in Finding Nemo would have been pulling little Darla’s teeth instead of fixing her braces.”

Archeological findings show that humans have a long history of preoccupation with straightening the teeth and jaw. Luckily, Marcia and Jan Brady never had to wrap their teeth with catgut like the early Egyptians who used a cord made from animal intestines to close the gaps. During the Golden Age, the Etruscans in Greece buried their ancestors with appliances to hold their teeth and jaws in place in order to be presentable in the afterlife. Throughout time, humans used various methods to apply pressure to the teeth in an attempt to move and adjust them.  Here’s a look at the history of braces. 

Early Advancements in Orthodontic Braces

Despite these early efforts, it wasn’t until the 1700s that any real advancements occurred. Pierre Fauchard devoted an entire chapter to various methods of straightening teeth in his book, “The Surgeon Dentist.” Thirty years later, Ettienne Bourdet, published his book, “The Dentist’s Art,” devoting an entire chapter to tooth alignment and various appliances, although the headgear Tootie wears in the Facts of Life had yet to make its appearance.

Christophe Francois Delabarre created the first device resembling modern braces in 1819. The wire cribs consisted of a half-circle piece of wire placed on the teeth to keep them in alignment. In 1843 and 1850, E.J. Tucker and Dr. S.C. Barnum used rubber tubing cut into bands to help correct jaw alignment. This means Chuckie Finster and his other Rugrat friends aren’t stuck with that overbite forever.

The two were used independent of the other until 1893 when Henry A. Baker combined both concepts by connecting the wire crib with the tubing, eliminating the need to extract several teeth to correct alignment issues. And it’s a good thing too, otherwise the dentist in Finding Nemo would have been pulling little Darla’s teeth instead of fixing her braces. At this time and up until the late 1900s, dentists individually wrapped the bands around each tooth and connected them by a wire crib made of gold or silver.

20th Century Breakthroughs in Orthodontics

During the 1970s, several breakthroughs in orthodontics emerged. Most notably, the use of stainless steel rather than gold reduced the cost of braces, making them more accessible and dentists began using dental adhesives to hold the brackets to the teeth. The first attempt at invisible braces also occurred during this time by placing the brackets on the inside of the teeth rather than the outside. The popularity of braces continued to grow as Denise from the Cosby Show, Lynn Tanner from Alf and little Lisa Simpson showed the world that braces were beautiful and flattering.

It wasn’t until 1997 that these methods progressed further when two Stanford University students with no dental training developed the first set of clear braces using a plastic retainer and 3-D computer imaging to make adjustments and align the teeth. Additional advancements in braces continue to develop so kids like Sue Heck in The Middle can remain optimistic and cheerful sporting their braces and headgear with confidence.

Approximately 33 percent of the world population – including Mabel from Disney’s Gravity Falls, Shelly Marsh from South Park and more than 4 million Americans – undergoes orthodontic treatment with braces, invisible braces or retainers. The number of adults seeking treatment increased 24 percent between 1982 and 2008; the same period saw a 99 percent increase for teenagers. The increase in popularity isn’t limited to the general public – TV stars and characters have been portraying braces throughout TV history.

Actors who Played Characters with Braces

• Marcia and Jan from The Brady Bunch – The two sisters get braces during episodes of The Brady Bunch.
• Tootie from The Facts of Life – Tootie, played by Kim Fields, in The Facts of Life wore braces.
• Denise from The Cosby Show – Denise, the Huxtables’ daughter on The Cosby Show is played by Lisa Bonet, who wore braces.
• Lynn from Alf – Lynn Tanner, Alf’s friend and the teenage daughter on Alf, wears braces.
• Sue Heck from The Middle – Sue Heck is an optimistic teenager wearing braces and headgear in The Middle.

Cartoon Characters with Braces

• Darla from Finding Nemo
• Lisa Simpson from The Simpsons
• Chuckie from The Rugrats
• Mabel from Disney’s Gravity Falls
• Shelly Marsh from South Park

Sources:

• http://www.davidevansdds.com/history_of_braces.php

• http://www.archwired.com/HistoryofOrtho.htm