Findings in Etruscan tombs suggest that as early as 700 BC. C. partial dentures were used in present-day Tuscany , Italy.
Some were permanently attached to existing teeth, and others were removable.
The first European sets of dentures date back to the 15th century, although as mentioned above, they existed long before then. The teeth were carved from bone or ivory, or were simply prepared from teeth recovered from cemeteries, as there were apparently dead or even living donors.
Throughout history, as more knowledge has been acquired and techniques have been perfected, the materials with which dental prostheses are made have varied. From the primitive replacements with ivory and even natural human and animal teeth, to the most current and innovative materials.
And the most expensive
A set of false teeth of the President of the United States George Washington (1732-99) is insured for ten million dollars. It is currently on display in Mount Vernon, the former home of Washington, Virginia. What was it made of? Hippo ivory, among other materials. Modern historians suggest that George Washington lost his teeth when he was very young due to the oxide of mercury that he took to treat diseases such as smallpox and malaria.
The most expensive false teeth sold at auction was the wartime denture worn by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill , which sold for $ 23,703.
That figure is three times the estimated price, and the bidder took it on July 29, 2010.
The single most expensive tooth sold at auction, however, was that belonging to John Lennon , the ex-beatle. On November 5, 2011, Canadian dentist Michael Zuk purchased this molar for $ 36,857. Apparently, the tooth had been given by Lennon to his maid.
