Believe it or not, people have been straightening their teeth for a very long time. But before the development of modern teeth straightening techniques, they had …
…Cat Gut!
You read that correctly! The ancient Egyptians used catgut to close gaps in their teeth. Mummies have even been found with wire wrapped around their teeth to keep them straight in the afterlife.
In ancient Rome, they used thin strips of gold wire. Now THAT’S an expensive smile! Any Romans not wealthy enough to afford gold braces used a finger-pressure technique, which involved periodically putting pressure on the teeth to move them. Try doing that for 20-22 hours a day!
… Wood, Gold, & Elephant tusks!
With the 1900s came an early version of the braces we see today. Gold was the main material, because it was so malleable. However, gold wire also led to more dental office visits for the same reason.
Other materials used were wood or ivory.
Look how far we have come from the days of catgut! Now, you can use invisible aligners so that no one will even be able to tell that you are straightening your teeth. And our aligners are not as expensive as gold braces, nor as time-consuming as a finger-pressure technique. Click here or Call us to get started today!