Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way in the past fewdecades. For centuries however, there have been some forms of cosmeticdentistry that have been practiced. It is from these primitive methods that wenow have the advancements that we do today.

One of the most commonly practiced methods of cosmeticdentistry in the past was teeth whitening. For hundreds of years, people usedvarious methods to whiten their teeth. While people of today want white teethmainly for aesthetic reasons, in the past having white teeth often signifiedwealth and status.

Those that were wealthy and of high stature in a communitywanted the whitest teeth possible to show their prestige. Various forms ofteeth whitening compounds were used to whiten teeth. Some cultures used acidsto whiten teeth, however it was quickly realized that the acid actually ateaway at the tooth enamel and caused severe damage to the tooth. Other culturesactually used urine as a method to whiten teeth, as the ammonia in urine workedfor removing tooth stains. From these primitive methods, early dentists wereable to discover newer ways to whiten teeth that were much less damaging, aswell as more palatable.

Early innovators were also able to create various methods toreplace teeth that were lost to make a persons smile more appealing, as well ashelp with function of the mouth. Early sets of dentures were made from wood tohelp replace teeth both for appearance, and for function. As technologyadvanced, primitive sets of dentures made from ceramics started to be useduntil further advancements allowed to us discover the products that we usetoday.

Though early cosmetic dentistry was certainly primitive, andwould be appalling to the people of today, it opened the doors for theadvancements that we have made. Fortunately, there are now large selections ofcosmetic dentistry procedures available that are much more effective and muchmore appealing to those looking to improve their smile.