If you’ve accidentally cracked or damaged a tooth today, you ca
n typically visit your dentist to repair it with a personalized dental crown. These lifelike and durable restorations can help protect and improve your smile, and they’ve been one of the most important advancements in restorative dentistry. How did they first start? Keep reading to take a closer look at the earliest versions of dental crowns and how they’ve developed into an incredibly reliable modern treatment for fixing smiles.
Ancient Dental Crowns
Did you know the first concept of a dental crown began thousands of years ago? Replacement teeth constructed out of ivory, gold, and even animal bone have been found by archeologists in recent years. Furthermore, discoveries from ancient Egypt and Rome signify that early civilizations tried making basic dental restorations with materials like gold to protect teeth from “tooth worms,” which they believed caused decay.
Dental Crowns in the Middle Ages
Dental procedures used to be performed by barber-surgeons utilizing rudimentary tools in medieval Europe. It wasn’t until the Renaissance that essential advancements in dental crown technology came about through Ambrose Pare in 1575—a learned surgeon who published notes on oral procedures. His comprehensive manual involved methods for addressing tooth decay with dental crowns, which helped spread the treatment to wider populations.
Tooth “Jackets” in Colonial Times
In the late 1800s, Dr. Charles H. Land patented a kind of porcelain “jacket” crown that was designed to cover a broken tooth so that it could look whole. While these dental caps were highly susceptible to breaking or becoming damaged after extended periods, they were the most revolutionary development in dental treatment.
Modern Dental Crowns
Nowadays, porcelain is one of the main materials used to construct modern dental caps to repair and improve damaged teeth. Skilled technicians can personalize your crown(s) so that they are comfortable and match perfectly with the rest of your smile. After the restoration is fabricated and bonded in place, you should be able to enjoy the results for over a decade with proper care.
Dental crowns have technically been around for a long time, and it’s thanks to human curiosity and ingenuity that we’re able to make the most of durable and natural-looking restorations today.
About the Author
Dr. Julie Young has well over two decades of experience in the world of dentistry, and she’s constantly learning through continuing education. As a member of several professional organizations, such as the Academy of General Dentistry and the California State Dental Association, she offers numerous kinds of services to help strengthen and improve your smile, including custom dental crowns. If you’d like to know more about this treatment or want to schedule a consultation, feel free to visit our website or call us at 415-924-5300.
