The History of Braces

Dental braces would seem to be the kind of invention that was developed in the Victorian era and refined during the 20th century, as so many of our modern items seem to be. Given the necessary finesse in constructing and attaching braces, combined with the needed understanding of orthodontics, this hypothesis stands up to reason - but not the facts. Remarkable though it may be, braces have a far longer history than is commonly assumed. Classical Braces Dental braces go back not one or two centuries, but over two and a half millennia. The Greeks discussed ways to straighten teeth, for example, and archeologists have found remains with metal bands and catgut attached to the teeth such that the most reasonable conclusion to draw is these were early efforts at dental braces. The Etruscans, meanwhile, seem to have applied dental braces to their deceased, apparently in an effort to maintain the shape of the teeth for the afterlife. The Romans also provide examples of dental braces …
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