Even as you look forward to 2025, it’s only natural to think back on the years that came before. Doing so helps you appreciate your present and provides ideas for the future. With that said, the same truth applies to modern aesthetic dental work. Knowing how far cosmetic dentistry has come lets you value its current form. Your State College dentist can prove it with this glimpse of cosmetic dental work’s history.
Ancient Cosmetic Attempts
Whatever you may have thought, cosmetic dentistry started in the ancient past. The first attempts at transforming smiles go back thousands of years.
Today’s researchers have found many signs of “ancient” dental cosmetics. Indeed, studies show that the early Egyptians made gold crowns and bridges around 3,000 BCE. The ancient Etruscans later made dentures from animal bones and ivory in 700 BCE. Going further, the classical Romans used urine as toothpaste; its ammonia could remove tooth stains.
Pretty Teeth in Medieval Times
Of course, the world didn’t stick with bones, ivory, and urine to improve its grins. Many people developed newer methods and approaches in the Middle Ages.
As it happens, medieval barbers practiced their own “type” of cosmetic dentistry. They often filed their patients’ teeth to make smiles look (or seem) whiter. This approach was abandoned because it destroyed enamel, but it still represents an advancement of sorts. It paved the way for better ideas in later years.
Smile for the Enlightenment
In the 1700s and 1800s, cosmetic dentistry underwent several crucial advances. These breakthroughs led to dentists becoming more “scientific” in their efforts.
Much Enlightenment progress came from dental prosthetics. By the 18th century, dentists had begun using porcelain as the main material for dentures. Specialists of the 18th century later tried placing metals in the sockets of missing teeth. This second idea didn’t work out (bodies rejected the metal), but it led to greater focus on porcelain restorations.
The Cosmetic Dentistry of Today
What you’d see as “true” cosmetic dentistry took shape in the 20th century. Even now, dentists still use many advancements from the early-to-mid 1900s.
You should note several key figures in this “late-modern” period. For example, one would be Dr. Charles Pincus; he created the first veneers in the 1930s to help actors. Other innovators were Drs. Haywood and Hemann, as they discovered safe enamel bleaching agents in 1989. These and similar inventions led to the cosmetic dentistry we know and love.
Given how far cosmetic dentistry has come, valuing today’s dental procedures makes sense. Remember to get one while 2025 is still new!
About the Author
Dr. Kevin P. Labosky is a dentist based in State College, PA, having earned his DDS from the Temple University School of Dentistry. He’s been proudly helping patients improve their smiles for nearly thirty years! In that time, his expertise has grown to encompass preventive, cosmetic, restorative, and even emergency dentistry. That means you can trust him to help your teeth and gums thrive! Dr. Labosky practices at his self-titled clinic, and he’s reachable on his website and by phone at (814)-237-7004.
