From Wooden Dentures To Denture Implants: A History Of Tooth Care

By Author: David Smith
Total Articles: 16
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Did you know that the oldest working complete denture device was discovered in a temple in the Kii Province of Japan? Or that according to Hasegawa Moriyama's "The History of the characteristic Japanese wooden culture," these dentures were made from the wood of a small tree? That they were used by a priestess in a Buddhist temple named Nakaoka Tei way back in 1538? This is testament to the efforts of even the early human civilizations to improve dental care. It's no surprise that until today, the typical person still benefit from these innovative dental methods, including denture implants and all on four dentures.

Dental Hygiene: Then and Now

Early humans did not have the best set of teeth. They survived without even the most simple dental hygienic procedures and tools, and ate food raw. This must have been tough for their teeth. As stated in the book Essentials of Dental Materials, early humans must have had a good set of teeth, but would have worn them down relatively quickly. Soon humans came up with ways to protect the incisors they constantly used for eating. According to the same book, the earliest recorded ...
... instance of systematic dental care can be found in an ancient Egyptian document. This manuscript, dating back to 3700 B.C., mentioned and described some prescribed medicine for toothaches.

The Progression of Dental Care

From then on, dental care progressed at a steady, if not progressive pace. The ancient Greeks pulled teeth through the use of specialized forceps; meanwhile, cauterizing a decayed tooth involved the use of a red-hot wire to burn the wound close. The Romans mastered the art of teeth cleaning: rich families even had slaves dedicated to cleaning their teeth using specialized sticks and tooth powder. In the Middle Ages, however, advances in all-around dental care ground to a halt, as the Church put a stop to scientific progression in fear of becoming less important in the eyes of the people. It would be in the Renaissance period and the Modern Age, when dental hygiene and devices similar to denture implants would come to help people in need.

In the 18th century, dentistry as a whole field of medicine was separated from general medicine. The first porcelain dentures were previously made in 1770 by Alexis Duchataeu. In London in 1820, meanwhile, high quality porcelain dentures, which are similar to denture implants were developed by Claudius Ash, a goldsmith by trade. These dentures were thought to be aesthetically and functionally superior to any type of denture at the time, and would pave the way for his success as a dental appliance manufacturer.

Today, dental hygiene and equipment are in a league all their own and have been developed at a superior rate compared to the devices of yesteryear. Modern dentures are now made of far more durable materials such as powder polymethylmethacrylate acrylic. Denture implants like all on four dentures are now usually made of strong materials like titanium, and appears similar to actual tooth roots. These types, combined with a strictly followed dental hygiene, can ensure that a person will have a perfect set of working teeth well into his or her old age.

David Smith has always been fascinated with denture implants, and is now looking to get all on four dentures after reading about them.