When today’s patients need dentures, dentists give them personalized medical devices that fit their mouths perfectly. Dentistry, however, hasn’t always had access to useful materials like porcelain and resins. In fact, dentures have a ghastly origin that involves taking teeth from bodies of dead people.
Waterloo Teeth Made Dentures Possible for the Rich
Before modern dentistry, people lucky enough to live into adulthood usually struggled with dental problems. Unfortunately, no one had the right scientific knowledge to address these issues. Of course, people tried their best to eliminate toothaches, cavities and disease. As far back as Ancient Egypt, people wrote about a variety of toothache remedies.
Dentistry emerged as a profession in the 18th century, when a surgeon named Pierre Fauchard published a book on surgical dentistry. Around the same time, early dentists discovered that they could make dentures for French aristocrats. The rich suffered from even more dental ailments that peasants because they could afford sugary treats and used acidic substances to whiten their teeth. Some of the dentures made for the rich used the teeth of corpses.
Dentures that contain human teeth have become known as Waterloo teeth because French noblemen had teeth pulled from dead soldiers killed at the Battle of Waterloo. It’s a bit of a misnomer, though. Evidence shows that early dentists used human teeth in dentures years before Napoleon Bonaparte’s failed battle against British forces.
In addition to teeth pulled from cadavers, dentists at the time used ivory, animal teeth and wood to make dentures. Those who could afford real human teeth often preferred the option because they offered a more appealing look.
The Advantages of Modern Dentures
Luckily, today’s patients don’t have to think about wearing the teeth of the dead. Modern dentistry has developed processes that make porcelain, nylon and acrylic resin affordable options for most people. Custom fitting also helps ensure that patients don’t experience pain while wearing their dentures. As long as a dentist makes a correct impression of a person’s mouth, the dentures should replicate the size and shape of the original teeth.
DentalSave Makes Dentures More Affordable
Even though today’s dentures are affordable compared to those from previous centuries, they’re still somewhat expensive for the average person. DentalSave memberships make it possible for patients to save 25 to 50 percent on the services and products offered by over 8,000 network providers.
As dental care continues to change, DentalSave members can save money on the latest advances. Fortunately, none of those advances will rely on human teeth pulled from the mouths of the dead.
