For centuries, people have searched for a way to replace dead and decaying teeth with comfortable false teeth. Many materials have been used to make a set o f f

For centuries, people have searched for a way
to replace dead and decaying teeth with
comfortable false teeth. Many materials have
been used to make a set o f false teeth.
The teeth themselves should be made from a
hard and durable material. They should be
secured to a soft material, making them easy to
wear. In the last two decades, dentists
succeeded in making durable false teeth that
are comfortable, too.
Two thousand years ago, the Etruscans made
teeth out of animal bone and gold.
These materials were used-with varying
degrees of success-up to the 1700 s. When
George Washington was president, ivory from
animals such as elephants became a popular
material for false teeth. Doctor s and inventors
also tried silver, peal, and agate, but teeth
made from these materials were very
expensive. Perhaps the most successful material
was porcelain, invented by a Frenchman about
two hundred years ago. White, strong, and
resistant to decay, porcelain is still used today
for making single teeth.
Besides finding a material for the teeth,
inventors also had to find a way to secure them
in a person s mouth. People tried wire, springs,
and many kinds of glue to accomplish this. In
most cases, however, discomfort and a
likelihood o f the teeth falling out plagued the
person who wore them.
Around 1844, an American dentist named
Horace Wells used laughing gas to put people
to sleep before working on their teeth. This
innovation made dental work a lot less painful.
Soon after, an inventor created the first form of
rubber. This was important to dentistry because
teeth could be attached to the rubber, and the
rubber could be molded to fit the shape of the
mouth. With these two developments, dentist
could work without causing pain and could fit
teeth more carefully. False teeth have become
more available and comfortable since then, and
dentists have continued to improve the making
and use of false teeth.