Where do braces come from?

The term - braces - was coined in the early 1900s. The orthodontics industry saw significant movement and advances that led to the invention of modern day braces. Orthodontic advances between the early 1800s and 1890 include:

1819 – Christophe-Francois Delabarre invented the first wire crib. Wire cribs are an early model of the dental brace, and thought by many to be the first form of modern day orthodontics. The wire crib is a half circle device that can be placed directly on the teeth, with the hopes of having the teeth stay in alignment.

1843 – Dr. Edward Maynard was the first dentist to use gum elastics as a technique used to correct improper jaw alignment. An elastic material would be connected to wiring in the mouth to slowly move the jaw until it was in proper alignment.

1850 – E.J. Tucker elaborated Dr. Maynard‘s idea of using gum elastics to correct jaw alignment. Tucker took rubber tubing, and cut it into small bands that could comfortably fit into the mouth.

1864 – A New York dentist by the name of Dr. S.C. Barnum invented the rubber dental dam. Dental dams are latex sheets that keep teeth dry while orthodontists or dentists work on the teeth. The use of a dental damn is often used during the application process of the braces onto the teeth.

1893 – Henry A. Baker was the first to combine many of the concepts used by previous dentists into one orthodontic treatment. Baker devised the method known as the "Baker anchorage." Baker anchorage combines the rubber tubing discovered by E.J. Tucker, with the wire crib. This technique eliminated the need to completely remove numerous teeth to help correct their alignment.

1894 – Eugene S. Talbot was the first dentist to incorporate X-rays into orthodontic procedures. X-rays were commonly used to discover potential teeth that were out of sight due to being impacted underneath the gum. Talbot believed discovering these teeth and extracting them could eliminate overcrowding within the mouth.

Now, you're educated about the background of braces. Go forth, and teach!