Like the look of ‘teeth jewelry’ or ‘tooth gems’? Have you improved your smile with dentures recently? Had cosmetic dentistry procedures that reshaped your teeth? Maybe you’re a dentist who has drilled a patient’s tooth lately. If you have, you’re not alone. In fact, archeologists have discovered these procedures have been popular for as long as 9,000 years in some instances. Surprised? So were many experts in and out of the dental profession.

The Reshaping Of Teeth By Vikings

Somewhere between 750 and 100 AD, the Vikings discovered the aesthetic value of shaping their teeth. Yes, these big nasty brutes known for raiding, murdering, and other heinous acts, saw their teeth as being important to their overall appearance. To look their best, they would file the enamel on their teeth down to create certain patterns.

This wasn’t the first time this idea was found in history, but it was the first time a practice of this type was noticed in European history. Experts believe the Vikings might have picked up the idea from ancient African cultures that filed their teeth to fine points. We don’t generally file tooth enamel for appearance now, but we do undergo procedures such as bonding to achieve a pleasing, unified look.

Ancient Mesoamerican Tooth Gems

Some people choose to have precious or semi-precious stones implanted into their teeth for a unique look, but they weren’t the first to come up with this idea either. As reported in the National Geographic, ancient Mesoamerican cultures added stones to their front teeth.

However, this practice has the experts confused. Archeologists aren’t sure why these ancient people had an archaic dentist perform this work. It didn’t signify class and doesn’t appear to signify a specific position within the community. The only real thing researchers have noticed is that it seems to be predominantly a male trait.

Dentures From A Mesoamerican Dentist

From the same time period, archeologists discovered this ancient culture also used to file their teeth flat in order to fit them with a rustic type of denture. This may have worked for a short time, but it also proved dangerous. Because this would have exposed the pulp inside the tooth, it likely caused terrible infections that might have caused the death of the patient. Not a pleasant way to go by any means, but certainly an interesting concept when you consider today’s methods of replacing smiles we can no longer repair.

Dental Repair The 9,000-Year-Old Way

Believe it or not, even without all of the new technology, dentists drilled and fixed teeth as early as 9,000 years ago in Pakistan. Again, researchers aren’t entirely sure why the teeth were expertly drilled out, but they believe with some decay present in some of the holes that it was meant as a treatment for toothaches. Again, experts believe this drilling technique would have caused infection and even death. However, the dental tools and precision of the dentist’s technique are nothing short of amazing.

The next time you have to go to the dentist, you will have something to talk about while you have your mouth gaping open and full of tools.

Are your teeth “unattractive”? The cosmetic procedure of attaching veneers to your teeth can create a bright, white smile with perfectly aligned and shaped teeth. If you’ve got cracks or chips, uneven alignment, or crooked teeth, the custom-designed shells of ceramic or composite resin can hide a multitude of flaws.

Over time teeth can lose their enamel, which is the thin, hard substance that covers and protects teeth. It might be natural, due to genetics, or more often a result of soft drinks, coffee or tea, smoking, or medications. Teeth also naturally wear down with age, and aged teeth tend to have more cracks, chips, or even spaces between them.

There are two materials that are most commonly used when making dental veneers, but both composite resin and porcelain veneers are made by dental technicians in a lab or directly built inside your mouth when you’re at the dentist office. Those that are made in a lab are bonded to teeth with a resin based cement, but of the two choices, porcelain veneers are more expensive, and last longer.

When you have small chips and cracks, bonding is more likely the way to go for cost effective cosmetic dentistry. But in cases of discolored, oddly spaced, or worn teeth, dental veneers are more appropriate for a long-term solution. (more…)

When you think of going to the dentist, you’re likely to think about cavities and fillings, root canals and extractions, treatments, or any other number of “operative” types of work in your mouth. However cosmetic dentistry focuses on making the appearance of one’s teeth better.

The other benefit (aside from making your smile pretty) of cosmetic dentistry can be restorative benefits. Historically, many people would receive types of dental fillings that were made of gold or amalgam, which made your teeth look dark. Today it’s possible to have your fillings made of porcelain or resins that match your natural tooth color, so your smile looks more natural. Cosmetically speaking, people can get their old fillings replaced with newer, tooth-colored fillings to achieve these results.

Another big “trend” these days is tooth whitening. Caffeine, nicotine (and other cigarette chemicals), tea, berries, and sugars can badly discolor the teeth, making them look yellow or even brown. Whitening kits have become very popular, but they often miss the mark on getting people that brilliant white smile they’re longing for. Cosmetic dentistry will almost always involve some sort of whitening treatment.

Smile makeovers and full mouth reconstructions are also becoming very popular. This includes treatments for over/under bites, bone and muscular structures, as well as crooked or chipped teeth, broken teeth, or missing teeth.

The names of procedures that can be considered “cosmetic” are dental fillings (if being done only as a means to replace old fillings), bonding (the sculpted repair of broken or chipped teeth, made to look like new), whitening, dental veneers (thin plastic or porcelain laminates that hide “ugly” teeth or gaps in teeth), and dental implants (artificial tooth replacements, like prosthetic teeth).