BACKROUNDKNOWLEDGE/HISTORY

1819ChristopheFrancoisDelabarreinventedthefirstwirecrib.
Wirecribsareanearlymodelofthedentalbrace,andthoughtby
manytobethefirstformofmoderndayorthodontics.Thewire
cribisahalfcircledevicethatcanbeplaceddirectlyontheteeth,
withthehopesofhavingtheteethstayinalignment.
1843Dr.EdwardMaynardwasthefirstdentisttousegum
elasticsasatechniqueusedtocorrectimproperjawalignment.An
elasticmaterialwouldbeconnectedtowiringinthemouthto
slowlymovethejawuntilitwasinproperalignment.
1850E.J.TuckerelaboratedDr.Maynardsideaofusinggum
elasticstocorrectjawalignment.Tuckertookrubbertubing,and
cutitintosmallbandsthatcouldcomfortablyfitintothemouth.
1864ANewYorkdentistbythenameofDr.S.C.Barnum
inventedtherubberdentaldam.Dentaldamsarelatexsheetsthat
keepteethdrywhileorthodontistsordentistsworkontheteeth.
Theuseofadentaldamnisoftenusedduringtheapplication
processofthebracesontotheteeth.
1893HenryA.Bakerwasthefirsttocombinemanyofthe
conceptsusedbypreviousdentistsintooneorthodontictreatment.
Bakerdevisedthemethodknownasthe"Bakeranchorage."Baker
anchoragecombinestherubbertubingdiscoveredbyE.J.Tucker,
withthewirecrib.Thistechniqueeliminatedtheneedto
completelyremovenumerousteethtohelpcorrecttheiralignment.
1894EugeneS.TalbotwasthefirstdentisttoincorporateXrays
intoorthodonticprocedures.Xrayswerecommonlyusedto
discoverpotentialteeththatwereoutofsightduetobeing
impactedunderneaththegum.Talbotbelieveddiscoveringthese

teethandextractingthemcouldeliminateovercrowdingwithinthe
mouth.
Seemoreat:
http://www.davidevansdds.com/history_of_braces.php#sthash.do2
4AHUr.dpuf
Thebracesoftheearly1900sweredramaticallydifferentthanthe
bracespeoplethinkabouttoday.Dentistswouldindividuallywrap
bands(materialsvaried)aroundeachtooth.Thebandswouldthen
beconnectedbyawire.Thewirecouldbeadjustedtoapply
pressuretotheteethinhopesofslowlymovingthemintoproper
alignment.Therewasnosetstandardsintermsofwhattypeof
materialswereusedwhentheveryfirstsetofbracescameinto
existence.Somedentistsusedivory,whileothersusedwood,
copperorzinc.Thematerialsthatwereusedwerecompletely
dependentuponthedentistspersonalpreference,thepatients
budget,andwhatwasavailableinthegeographicalareaatthe
time.However,therewasonematerialpreferredbydentistsall
overtheworld;gold.Goldwaspreferredbymanydentistsbecause
thematerialisextremelyflexiblewhenheated.Thegoldcouldbe
shapedandmoldedtowraparoundtheteeth.Materialssuchas
wires,bands,clasps,andspursweremadeoutof14Kand18K
gold.Whilegoldwaspreferreditwasnotcommonlyusedfora
numberofreasons;mainlythepriceandfrequentadjustmentsthat
wererequired.Goldwasextremelyexpensiveevenintheearly
1900s,andnotallpatientscouldaffordtheaddedexpense.In
additiontothepriceofgold,patientswhohadgoldbracesrequired
frequentadjustmentsfromthedentistasthematerialwouldoften
starttogrowsoftduetobodyheat.Patientswhocouldntaffordto
purchasethegoldusedforthebraceswouldoftenhavetousethe
dentistssecondchoiceofmaterial;silver.Silverwassignificantly
cheaperthangold,butnotasflexible.However,itwaspreferred
overthealternativematerialssuchasivoryandwood,whichwere

extremelydifficulttoworkwithatthetime.Seemoreat:
http://www.davidevansdds.com/history_of_braces.php#sthash.do2
4AHUr.dpuf
SITATION:"David L. Evans DDS, PC." History of Braces and
Orthodontics. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016.
<http://www.davidevansdds.com/history_of_braces.php#stha
sh.do24AHUr.dpuf>.