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A brief history of dentures
1. Classen Family Dentistry
A brief history of dentures
Today many people use dentures, or false teeth, to replace missing teeth. Dentures have been
around for a very long time, and the first ones ever were thought to be made from human or
animal teeth around 500 BC by Etruscans in northern Italy. Peter de la Roche, who lived in
London, is widely believed to have been one of the very first people to specialize in dental work,
including dentures. George Washington, the first president of the United States, is famous for
having used dentures made out of ivory from hippos and elephants along with gold, spiral
springs, rivets, and human teeth.
The very first porcelain dentures were made around 1770 by Alexis Duchateau. Samuel Stockton
began manufacturing the first high-quality porcelain dentures made out of 18-carat plates in
1820. While the very first dentures in history may have been quite primitive, they have come a
long way since then. Modern dentures are typically made from porcelain and are fabricated in a
commercial dental laboratory or in a dentist’s office.
Japan is credited with having the oldest known set of complete dentures, consisting of wooden
teeth that were traced back to the Ganjyoji Temple in Kii Province. These dentures were made
from the Japanese Box species of tree. The Japanese used wood to build their dentures, though
they did eventually change their method and began using porcelain. The days of using animal
teeth and wood for dentures has long since passed, as porcelain is now the standard and the
process used for making them has changed quite a bit over the years.
There are a number of advantages associated with dentures, including the fact that they can
replace missing teeth and can be either partial or complete. Those who have a number of missing
teeth for any reason will find that dentures can be an excellent overall solution, and in some
cases a cost effective one. While the cost of dentures can be steep, it depends on a number of
factors, including the dentist you go to for them. If you are trying to find the best family dentistry
in Oklahoma City, it will be important that you take the time to look into some of your options
before deciding where to go. The more time you take to make this decision, the better your
chances will be of getting quality dental services at a reasonable cost.