A History of The Denture

A History of The Denture

Dentures are artificial tooth replacements that re-create the look of real teeth after they are lost due to decay or damage. While today's dentures provided at our Lumberton dentist's office closely mirror the look of real teeth, the early dentures were not quite as sophisticated.

The earliest dentures date back to Mexico in 2500 BC. Archaeologists discovered dentures at an excavation site made from animal teethDenture -- possibly that of a wolf's. Throughout history, other societies have found innovative materials for denture creation. This includes the Japanese, who used wood and ivory to create dentures in the 1500's.

Another popular misconception surrounding the history of dentures is that America's first President George Washington wore wooden dentures. This is not true, as President Washington's dentures were made from carved hippopotamus ivory and fitted with human, horse and donkey teeth. These teeth were considered of the highest quality at the time.

Dentures Today

The trials and errors of the past have given rise to today's dentures. At our Lumberton dentist's office, we offer both full and partial dentures to replace lost or missing teeth. Full dentures replace an entire arch or upper or lower set of teeth. Partial dentures replace a set of several missing teeth, but not an entire upper or lower set of teeth.

Many types of dentures exist, and are typically fashioned out of acrylic resin. They are custom-made to fit your jaw structure.

Dentures are for you if you have experienced significant tooth loss and want to show off a full smile when you look in the mirror. If you have tooth loss that impacts your abilities to eat and chew certain foods, dentures can help. Wearing dentures may also help reduce changes in speech and facial form (wrinkles and muscle collapse) that can occur due to tooth loss.

If you are curious to hear more about how dentures are created and if they could benefit you, please contact our Lumberton dentist's office. For more information on dentures at our Lumberton dentist's office, please call (910) 738-9396.

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