Dentures-A Not So New Concept

You'd better count your lucky teeth you live in the 21st century! Modern day dentures are a blessing compared to dentures used centuries ago. As early as 700 B.C., dentures were produced using ivory and bone. Until the 1800s, dentures were not usually considered. It was common even for nobility to walk around with rotted or missing teeth. In the 1800s, dentures were hand-carved and help in place by silk threads. The reason technology for dentures didn't improve was due to the lack of materials need to construct them. Sometimes poor people would sell their own teeth and these were used to make dentures. These teeth would eventually rot. Wealthy people had their dentures made from silver, gold, or mother of pearl. When plaster of paris was introduced in the 1700s, it was easier to make a mold of the patient's teeth. Today dentures are made from plastic or ceramic.