While the art and science of cosmetic dentistry, or prosthodontics has only been around for about 70 years or so and wasn’t widespread until the 1960s, one could legitimately say that cosmetic dentists have been around for hundreds, or even thousands of years. As long as humans have walked the planet, people have been losing teeth due to disease, neglect and accidents. Archaeological evidence indicates that people have been wearing dentures in some form for millennia.

The region of northern Italy known today as Tuscany was once the home to a remarkable people known as the Etruscans. Ultimately, they were assimilated by the militaristic culture of Rome, but some anthropologists suggest that modern Italians are more like the Etruscans than Romans. One thing that archaeologists have discovered about Etruscans however is that they were among the first people to make use of what we today would call cosmetic dentists, who fitted them with dentures make from the teeth of animals or dead cadavers!

Reports of “cosmetic dentists” – virtually all of whom were actually barbers at the time – fitting clients for dentures \surface around the year 1400, although it is likely that such prosthodontic devices had been used in Northern Europe prior to that time. Like those used by the Etruscans a some 1500 years earlier, these dentures could be taken from cadavers; alternatively, they could be carved from the bones of animals, or ivory from walrus tusks.

Although George Washington reputedly wore wooden dentures, porcelain became the choice of early cosmetic dentists about the time he became the first U.S. president; a patent was granted for such dentures in Britain around 1790. Unlike dentures made from organic materials, porcelain was resistant to rot and surprisingly durable.

Since then other materials used by cosmetic dentists for dentures have included various types of plastics and hard rubber. Today, the most common material for dentures is acrylic resin; it is the most durable material yet found for this purpose.

Patients who are considering being fitted for dentures by cosmetic dentists should understand that wearing such a synthetic prosthesis requires some adjustment, and no matter how carefully they are fitted, there is likely to be some discomfort. Cosmetic dentists today have many alternatives at their disposal today, including dental implants. Ask your family dentist for a referral to a qualified prosthodontist who can help determine whether or not you are a candidate for such alternatives.

Reconstructive Cosmetic Dentistry

One of the many restorative and reconstructive techniques in which cosmetic dentists are trained is called enameloplasty or odontoplasty. Also known as “enamel shaping,” it is a form of dental bonding in which the tooth is shaped by adding material – generally some form of epoxy resin. Because of this, enamel shaping is a virtually painless process, and can be done relatively quickly. In most cases, cosmetic dentists are able to complete such a treatment in only two or three sessions.

Cosmetic dentists employ enamel shaping most often for patients who have congenital issues that have resulted in crooked, misaligned teeth. Rarely is this procedure performed on its own; it is usually part of a comprehensive treatment plan that cosmetic dentists design in collaboration with the patient and colleagues such as the orthodontist and periodontist when necessary. For examples, view the before after gallery of Dr Sam Muslin (Cosmetic Dentist, Santa Monica).

This procedure requires that the patient’s teeth are basically sound and healthy, because some enamel needs to be removed from the surface of the teeth. For reasons that should be apparent, cosmetic dentists try to remove as little enamel as possible. Prior to the beginning of an enamel shaping procedure, several x-rays are required in order to aid the prosthodontist in determining how much enamel can safely be removed without seriously weakening the tooth structure.

Cosmetic Dentistry Computer Imaging

With today’s computer imaging technology, cosmetic dentists can now show the prospective patient before and after cosmetic dentistry pictures, demonstrating how the procedure will improve their looks. One of the good things about enamel shaping is that a little goes a long way; although the procedure is rather complicated and requires a good amount of skill and experience, very little needs to actually be done in order to achieve dramatic results.

This procedure involves shaping a tooth to the desired shape with the use of miniature sanding drills, abrasive strips and precision lasers. With these tools, cosmetic dentists are able to sculpt and shape the tooth.

Afterwords, patients are usually amazed at how much difference just a few millimeters can make as well as the relatively short amount of time in which they can be achieved.

While your family dentist is probably not trained in the technique of enameloplasty, s/he may be able to tell whether or not such a procedure would be helpful in your situation. In such a case, your dentist will likely be able to recommend or refer you a qualified cosmetic dentist.

Botox ^®

According to legend, Ponce de Leon wandered around present-day Florida and the Deep South in search of the legendary “Fountain of Youth” back in the 16th Century – but chances are he was carrying it with his provisions all along.

Botox, or botulism toxin, is really the simplest, least expensive and safest rejuvenation treatment available today; millions of people in the United States have availed themselves of these wrinkle injections since it was finally approved for cosmetic use by the FDA back in April of 2002.

Botulism?!?

Yes, that’s correct…the same botulism that causes food poisoning. It is the nature of this toxin that makes botox so effective for the treatment of wrinkles, however.

There is also precedence for using a potentially harmful microbe as a beneficial treatment. In fact, many vaccines for deadly diseases are based on the very bacteria and viruses that cause the disease in the first place; injecting someone with a very small amount of pathogen stimulates the immune system so as to “train” antibodies to fight the same pathogen – making that person virtually immune to the disease.

Of course, this is not exactly how botox works.

The Botox Story

The bacteria that causes botulism was first identified in 1897. This bacteria thrives in meat that has been improperly handled (in fact, it was tainted meat from Armor Meat Company that caused most U.S. casualties during the Spanish-American War). Thirty years later, two doctors managed to produce a purified version of the toxin.

Why? Because of what the toxin does. When a person contracts botulism, the poison attacks the nervous system, effectively paralyzing the muscles of the respiratory system. Doctors realized the potential for treating neuromuscular conditions that caused uncontrolled spasms. It wasn’t until 1949 however that doctors actually came up with a practical way to administer the toxin for such patients.

Fast forward forty years. In 1989, a Sacramento cosmetic surgeon published a paper in a medical journal describing how botox could be use to erase wrinkles by paralyzing the facial muscles that cause them. A few years later, a pair of ophthalmologists in Canada published their own independent findings on the use of botox for erasing “frown lines.”

By the spring of 2002, the FDA was convinced of the safety of botulism for cosmetic treatments and approved the drug for this purpose.

Your Botox Treatment

Getting a botox treatment is quick and easy – and only takes about twenty minutes. Your doctor can administer it right there in the office, and recovery time is minimal. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see a difference right away – the effects usually take about 7 to 10 days to show up in the mirror, and will last up to four months.

Be aware that some people do experience short-term side effects; you may have headaches, or all the symptoms of the flu such as nausea. This usually passes in a day or two, however. Also, do not have a botox treatment if you are a woman who is pregnant or nursing.