Although children may not be too excited about hearing that they require orthodontic treatment, piquing their interest may help reduce their negative feelings. In today's post, our North Delta dentists provide a few fun facts about orthodontics for kids to enjoy!
NASA created the original wires used for braces.
Some of the wiring used for braces contains nickel titanium, which NASA originally developed for use in their space program. These thin, highly flexible elastic wires are now used in orthodontic appliances. These wires can maintain their shape after being bent and attached to teeth.
Some myths about braces have endured the test of time.
If you had less advanced braces from decades ago, you would actually have an increased risk of being struck by lighting. They don’t set off metal detectors or attract other metal objects. They also do not pick up radio signals and you can’t lock braces while kissing.
The desire for straighter teeth can be traced back to ancient Egyptians.
People have longed for straight, healthy smiles for thousands of years. While braces weren’t designed until the early 18th century, many mummies have been discovered with chords made of animal intestines wrapped around their teeth. Archaeologists believe this was an attempt at straightening crooked teeth and that this early iteration would be similar to current braces wiring.
Orthodontics became a dental specialty in 1900.
Edward H. Angle was the first orthodontist; the first member of the dental profession to focus his practice exclusively on orthodontics - moving teeth and aligning jaws.
The word “orthodontics” originated in Greece.
“Ortho” means straight or correct, while “dont” (not to be confused with “don’t”), means tooth. Combined, “orthodontics” means straight teeth.
Early braces were made of gold.
Gold is a flexible, soft material that can be easily stretched to set the desired path for a tooth. Braces might be a bit more expensive if they were still made of gold!