Your Cameron Park Dentist can help you
restore your tired smile back to the way it used to be with amazing Cosmetic
Dentistry techniques that will have you smiling every minute of the day, and
thanks to the Mayans and other early civilizations, Cosmetic Dentistry in
Cameron Park has made huge advancements.
These days it is easy to whiten your teeth
with at home kits or in office whitening treatments from the best Cameron Park Dentist, but hundreds of years ago, people resorted to all kinds of techniques to
enhance their pearly whites including urine.
Centuries ago, the upper classes whitened
their teeth with acid. The whiter the better as it showed off ones status. Unfortunately,
it wasn’t long before the Cosmetic Dentists of the day discovered that acid
actually destroyed tooth enamel. Other teeth whitening techniques included one’s
own urine and ammonia.
Dental veneers and dental implants are
becoming increasingly popular, and according to archaeologists, always have
been.
Not much is known about the Mayan culture,
but recent archaeological digs have discovered that the ancient Mayans were very
much into Cosmetic Dentistry using tooth modifications such as filing, tooth
sharpening, and inlays. Although the reasoning behind this practice is unclear,
some say it could have something to do with aesthetics, social status, or
religion. According to author Diego de Landa, who wrote Relacion de las cosas
de Yucatan, the Mayan women would file their teeth creating a serrated edge.
This was considered elegant and was done by the older women in the tribe. The
teeth were filed using water and stones.
Today tooth jewelry and, “Grills,” are all
the rage, and apparently were just as popular with the Mayan culture. The inlays used by the ancient Mayans
displayed Cosmetic Dentistry artisanship and skill. Although archeologists believe this technique began as early as 100 BC
to 300 AD it wasn’t until 700 to 900 AD that tooth alterations became much more
elegant. Mayan children, women and men would highlight their teeth using
turquoise, quartz, jadeite, pyrite, hematite, cinnabar, and quartz.
Apparently,
the Mayans mixed powered quartz with water to use as an abrasive while the
inlay holes were drilled. Once the hole was formed, the inlay was placed and
cemented into place. Archeologists claim that Cosmetic Dentistry decoration was
more popular among females with 65 percent modifying their teeth with more than
fifty patterns being identified. Archeological findings indicate that 58
percent of the male population indulged in some sort of Cosmetic Dentistry as
well.
