Dental Crown History

Last updated on August 25th, 2018 at 04:54 pm

Modern dentistry has obviously advanced significantly since ancient times. In ancient times, one would have to go around with a tooth that troubled them until it either deteriorated and fell out, or they had it yanked out. Keep in mind that this procedure was performed without the perk of modern-day discomfort medicines, and by a person with several other activities in their work description. Nevertheless, there surprisingly were some corrective techniques even back then. Among them were dental crowns. Dental crowns history is quite interesting.

The Etruscans, individuals which inhabited most of what is today the Tuscan area of Italy, are the folks first known to use dental crowns. Those first dental crowns were made of gold. This was around 700 B.C. to the first century B.C. Strangely, during the Middle Ages, the making and use of dental crowns appears to have fallen out of favor. The first book on the subject of dentistry, known as the Artney Buchlein, or “The Little Medicinal Book for All Sort of Diseases and Infirmities of the Tooth,” was first published in Germany in 1530. This book laid the groundwork for viewing dentistry as a science and profession. Previously, it had simply been a side practice for blacksmiths and barbers. The book consisted of many details regarding all sorts of restorations, including dental crowns. Dental crowns crudely crafted human teeth or animal teeth began to appear around the 1700’s. These dental crowns were installed using wooden or metal posts. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that porcelain began to be the material of choice for making dental crowns.

Finally, in the 1900’s, crowns that were somewhat custom made to actually fit the person’s mouth were invented. A process called, “lost-wax casting method” was used to make these new dental crowns. A wax was used to create a mold for the crown. Then, the porcelain was poured into the mold to form the final dental crown. Dr. Bill Taggert built a machine to cast dental crowns Indianapolis in 1907. By refining his technique, dentists were able to make detailed, precise dental crowns. Most crowns up until the 1960’s were made from either gold or porcelain. Around the 60’s, porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns became the standard. Now you know the dental crowns history.

To find out how you can benefit from these advances in modern day dental implant techniques, contact Dr. Grayson’s office today at 317-662-0090.