Although orthodontic braces weren’t invented until the
1800s, cultures all over the world have been preoccupied with the idea of
straight teeth and proper jaw alignment since the times of the Ancient
Egyptians. Each culture adopted a unique way of manipulating people’s teeth and
thus the world was left with a range of methods all solving the same problem of
crooked teeth.
Archaeologists found a cord made from animal intestines
wrapped along the teeth in many mummified remains which shows the Egyptian’s
effort to close gaps in between the teeth. According to the American
Association of Orthodontics, archaeologists have also discovered Greek dental equipment
that indicates humans began practicing orthodontics as early as 1000 B.C. The
Greeks would use something resembling a mouth guard and place it in the mouth
of the deceased in order to preserve the appearance of the teeth so that they
would appear the same in the afterlife.
The earliest ancient Roman record of dental care came
from a man named Aulus Cornelius Celsus. Celsus kept a detailed record of all
his work and holds the first recorded attempt to straighten or move teeth by
use of finger pressure. His hypothesis was that the teeth were slowly moving
and realigning themselves due to the outside pressure of the finger.
Similar to the Egyptians, the Ancient Romans remains were
found with a small gold wire that was used to create a bracket like fixture
inside of the mouth. Without these small steps in history, there would be no
foundation for the invention of braces and the history of braces may have been
completely different. If you or someone you know has braces, take a moment to
be thankful about these unusual methods and how they set the foundation for
future discoveries.
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