Orthodontic problems have been around for a lot longer than most people realise – even Neanderthals displayed evidence of dental irregularities that could have benefited from the knowledge we have now. Add to your trivia night repertoire with five facts about orthodontics that you probably didn’t know:

 

Orthodontics has Greek Origins

While the practice of orthodontics was actually started by a Frenchman, the word ‘orthodontics’ comes from Greece. ‘Ortho’ means to straighten or correct, while ‘odont’ comes from the Greek word odous, which means tooth.

 

The First of Its Kind

Pierre Fauchard, a French dentist, wrote about an orthodontic appliance in his 1728 book on dentistry, The Surgeon Dentist: A Treatise on the Teeth. The bandeau was a horseshoe-shaped piece of metal that was tied to the teeth to help align them. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since then!

 

The Midas touch

Today, orthodontic appliances can be made from different materials including metal, plastic and even ceramics. But at the start of the 1900s gold was often used as it is malleable – allowing it to be stretched and adjusted. Consequently, patients had to see their orthodontist regularly for adjustments and orthodontic treatment was reserved for the wealthy. The use of cheaper, stronger and more flexible wire alloys later in the 20^th Century made orthodontic treatment more accessible to the masses.

 

Crooked Teeth are Nothing New

We already mentioned that many Neanderthals had evidence of crooked teeth, but did you know that archaeologists have found Egyptian mummies with crude metal bands wrapped around their teeth? Even Hippocrates was writing about ‘irregularities’ of teeth around 400 BC.

 

Orthodontics Is a Dental Specialty

The first-ever orthodontist – that is, a qualified dentist who limited their practice to moving teeth and aligning jaws – was Edward H. Angle, an American who is often thought of as the father of modern orthodontics. He went on to found the American Society of Orthodontists and taught in the field in the United States.

Closer to home, the Australian Society of Orthodontists was formed in 1927, meaning that members of the ASO have been creating better smiles for over 90 years. All ASO members are qualified dentists, who went on to complete an additional three years of study and training in the field of orthodontics to become dental specialists aka “Orthodontists”.

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