People might have things to complain about, but there are many reasons to be grateful for living during this age. Modern living has made our lives so much easier. 
Today’s medicine helps people live longer and remain more comfortable even with a chronic illness. For those with unhealthy mouths, oral surgery has evolved considerably. We are fortunate here in San Francisco to have best-in-class hospitals and healthcare such as the UCSF health system.
Today’s oral surgery is more comfortable and provides longer-lasting results. If someone wants to replace their bad teeth with dentures, they can do it. Improving your smile with dental implants is also a great option. First, modern materials for dental implants are sustainable. Titanium metal used to screw in new teeth is biocompatible with human bone, gums, and saliva. The metal also has a ‘high fatigue limit’, meaning fewer visits to the oral surgeon over time for painful repairs. And going in for oral surgery takes less time, too. We can prepare the mouth at one visit and snap in a row of new teeth the next (please remember, this is on a case-by-case basis). Yes, improving your smile is much easier for us than it was for our ancestors.
Thank Your Lucky Stars for Modern Oral Care!
The dental sciences have evolved where we might not even consider how unbelievable horrific it was before. Past oral care was fraught with pain and death. Today, we know bacteria from a diseased mouth can travel to the heart and the rest of the body. And infected gums and teeth can cause terrible pain, so pulling out bad teeth has always been essential. Trying to replace them to help chew food, etc., has also been important. But the materials used were not always ‘bio-compatible’ with the mouth. And the dental process itself could be life-threatening.
Colgate posted an informative post on the history of dentures and dental implants. The post notes wooden teeth handcrafted by artisans were used by Japanese royalty in the 16th century. But fake teeth went even further back than that!
Throughout much of history, only royals and the wealthy could afford the most modern kind of dentistry. People used stones, wood or gold and silver for teeth. Eventually, human teeth were desired and they came from some very unsavory sources. For instance, the impoverished would sell their own teeth until they ran out and turned to grave robbery. This went on from the 16th through the 18th centuries and was considered quite normal. One of the biggest boons in ‘tooth hunting’ happened during the Battle of Waterloo in June of 1815. Thousands of teeth were collected on the battlefield and shipped to Europe, where they were made into dentures for the upper-class and aristocracy. These luxury dentures received the name “Waterloo teeth.” If you are not squeamish and like strange facts about historical dentistry, this video is interesting.
Luckily, we are not in the past where people believed only wizards can cure tooth decay. Modern oral surgery is available to all Bay Area residents regardless of income status! Strong biocompatible materials and pain management medication make improving your smile easy. Modern dental implants are healthy, long-lasting and here to stay! If you live in San Francisco or nearby, please reach out for a free consultation on your dental implant needs.
