Dental Milestones

2698 BC
First record of dental care in writings of Chinese emperor Huang Ti. Ancient Chinese used acupuncture to relieve toothache and gum pain

2500BC
Egyptian mummy with two gold molars held together by strands of gold wire. Later, Egyptians extracted the of slaves for use by pharaohs (attached by gold wire)

10AD
Romans provide first reference to filling teeth

1187
Arabian-Hebrew philosopher Maimonides refers to gold teeth crowns, used to hide  hideous-looking decayed teeth

1600s
Britain’s upper classes were beginning to try out false teeth, often made from hippo tusk

1700s
English ‘resurrectionists’ made a tidy sum claiming teeth from the dead – to be used for false teeth

1844
Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) becomes widely available to relieve dental pain

1851
Chloroform first used to relieve dental pain

1873
First gold-banded crown – later enhanced by the development of cements for fixation purposes

1878
First porcelain crown attached through a threaded dowel

1885
Local anaesthetics become accepted practice

1890
American dentist Edward H Angle develops the principles of modern orthodontics

1900s
Angle’s braces become available for teeth straightening

1930s
Italians develop first false teeth implants – later improved by the Swedes

1960s
Veneers become widely available in the US

1975
Blue light used to set cement, improving quality of veneers and crowns

1980
Transparent braces first become available in US

1980s
Computer technology developed to improve the precision of all forms of cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics

1985
Linear braces (fitted inside the teeth) developed

1990
High-strength press ceramics improve the quality of veneers and crowns

1995
Dentine bonding agents become available in the UK, further improving the range of

2000
Peroxide bleaches, activated with gas plasma light, used for teeth whitening

Source: Men’s Health