evolution of bracesDid you know that even in ancient times, people wanted to improve the look and function of their smiles? At Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics of Virginia, we think of modern orthodontic appliance as sleek, efficient technology, but this was not always so! Take a look at the highlights of the evolution of braces.

Ancient Times: From Greece to Rome
According to The Angle Orthodontist, Aristotle and Hippocrates first thought about methods for straightening teeth between 400 and 300 BC.
The Etruscans, in what we know as Italy, buried their dead with appliances that maintained spaces to prevent the collapse of their teeth and jaws during life. Archaeologists have discovered mummified remains in various locations that have metal bands wrapped around the teeth.
A Roman tomb was discovered in which the teeth were bound with gold wire, including documentation of the wire’s use as a dental device.

18th Century: A French Development
​​French dentist Pierre Fauchard is acknowledged as the father of modern dentistry. In 1728, he published a book that described various methods of straightening teeth. Fauchard also used a device known as a “blandeau” to widen the upper palate.
Louis Bourdet was another French dentist who published a book in 1754 that discussed tooth alignment. Bourdet further refined the blandeau and was the first dentist to extract bicuspids, or premolar teeth between canines and molars, for the purpose of reducing tooth crowding.

19th Century: Orthodontics Defined
Orthodontics ​​started to become a separate dental specialty during the early 19th century. The first wire crib was used in 1819, marking the beginning of modern orthodontics.
During this period, gold, platinum, silver, steel, gum rubber, vulcanite, and occasionally wood, ivory, zinc, and copper were used – as was brass in the form of loops, hooks, spurs, and ligatures.
Edward Maynard first used gum elastics in 1843 and E.J. Tucker began making rubber bands for braces in 1850.
Norman W. Kingsley published the first paper on modern orthodontics in 1858 and J.N. Farrar was the first dentist to recommend the use of force over timed intervals to straighten teeth.

20th Century: New Materials Abound
Edward Angle developed the first classification systems for maloc​​clusions (misaligned teeth) during the early 20th century in the United States, and it is still in use today. Angle founded the American Society of Orthodontia in 1901, which was renamed the American Association of Orthodontists in the 1930s.
By the 1960s, gold was universally abandoned for stainless steel.
Lingual braces were the “invisible” braces of choice until the early 1980s, when tooth-colored aesthetic brackets made from single-crystal sapphire and ceramic became popular.

Today
As we arrive in the present, you need only to look at your own braces to see how far we’ve come. Your treatment plan was probably created with a 3D​ digital model, and we’re likely using a computerized process to customize your arch wires. Perhaps you have clear aligners, self ligating brackets, or highly resilient ceramic brackets with heat-activated wires.

Orthodontics has come a long way from the days of Aristotle, and even the bulky wrap-around braces of just over 60 years ago. Regardless of your specific treatment plan, the development of high-tech materials and methods has made it possible for your orthodontic experience to be as effective, efficient, and comfortable as possible. Call our office at (804) 739-0963 to schedule your first orthodontic consultation, and learn how PDOVA can make your smile last through the ages!