Historically Speaking

Would it surprise you to know that braces, in some form, have been around since ancient times? We're talking hundreds of years BC. Mummified remains have been found with wires in their mouths, possibly to prevent teeth and faces from caving in on themselves in the afterlife. And men like Aristotle were applying their considerable brainpower to thinking of ways to correct dental problems. In the 1700s, Pierre Fauchard established the groundwork for much of the dentistry and orthodontics that we're familiar with today.

With the past couple of weeks being relatively uneventful in terms of my own orthodontic journey, I thought a bit of history might be fun. I assumed that braces had been around for a while, but I really didn't think I'd find people concerned with straightening teeth quite so long ago. They probably weren't going for the perfection we hope for today; I'm imagining it was more about seeing to the more serious health issues that arise from major dental malformations. However, Fauchard's work seems to indicate that he could well have been behind some of the more dazzling smiles of his time.

Despite his progress, I can't help thinking that as frightening as it can be to have some of today's dental tools approach your mouth (I usually look away), the tools of the trade in the 1700s would have been even more disconcerting. My hunch is supported by the fact that urine was used to help fight caries (dental decay) back then--the ammonia in it being the active ingredient. Fortunately for us, they've found other methods for preventing and treating cavities.

I find it impressive that Fauchard, back in his time, was figuring out methods for tooth restoration, the need for fillings (albeit sometimes employing lead), the benefits of regular dental cleanings and that children's teeth are more quickly and easily moved because of their more shallow roots. This was a time when some still believed that tooth decay was caused by tooth worms. (Actually, some still believe it. If you really want to be horrified, Google tooth worms and read about these delightful--and thankfully unreal--creatures!)

No doubt, in the not-too-distant future, people will look back on current methods as "positively medieval," a sentiment that I can't completely disagree with even now, but I do appreciate the improvements made so far. I'm still five weeks away from my first tightening appointment (which my 14-year-old niece informed me would be about an 8 on a pain scale of 1-10 but wouldn't last long; that seems a little high to me, especially since she said it like it was no big thing; but she's been through it and I have not, so we'll see). In the meantime, I'm happy to report that my teeth are already straighter than they were--so medieval or not, it's working!