If you’ve watched just about any cartoon ever, you know what dentures are. From Johnny Bravo and The Simpsons to Betty Boop and Futurama, many cartoons have jokes about fake teeth, something the internet has come to call “false teeth tomfoolery.” While it’s all fun and games in cartoons, dentures actually help to correct serious dental problems, giving people with these problems a higher quality of life. The problem with this false teeth tomfoolery is many people take away negative connotations from the use of dentures, but this isn’t the case. In fact, with their helpful capabilities, dentures are actually quite cool. Here are some interesting facts you may not know about them.
Fact #1: Dentures Are Not a New Concept
Dentures have existed for thousands of years. The earliest known denture came from the Etruscans in Northern Italy. Around 700 BC, the Etruscans began developing false teeth out of old human and animal teeth. They were easy to produce, though they didn’t last very long, but this method of making dentures was popular up until the 1800s AD. That’s a long time! Although during this time, they weren’t the only denture in town. In the 1700s, people, particularly the wealthy, began wearing dentures made of ivory taken from the bone and teeth of animals, ranging from hippopotamuses to walruses. The most popularly known of these dentures belonged to President George Washington. While it’s commonly thought that his were made from wood, they were actually made from the teeth of hippopotamuses, donkeys, and cows.
Fact #2: The False Teeth Tomfoolery is Widespread in Western Pop Culture
False teeth tomfoolery isn’t restricted to just cartoons, according to tvtropes.org. Many movies, TV shows, and webcomics mention it as well, and many of these are live action. This tomfoolery is even present in literature. Scout and Jem from To Kill a Mockingbird discuss their neighbor’s false teeth and they even appear as an important plot point in an Encyclopedia Brown story. Because of this, many people have a specific image of how dentures are and how they work, much of which is either untrue or no longer true.
Fact #3: They Can Help With Many Dental Problems
Dentures are recommended when the majority of your natural teeth are painful and give you issues when eating, speaking, or drinking. They can now be molded and shaped to fit your natural jawline, making them less visibly obvious and giving you more support in your day to day activities. With new technology, people don’t even have to know you’re wearing them.
Call a Quality Dentist in El Paso
Before you dive in thinking false teeth can solve all your problems, just know that we recommend people only get them if they absolutely have to. The better option is always to keep your natural teeth, but if it comes to a point where that is no longer an option, dentures can provide you with discreet relief. Also note that making the switch requires a lot of maintenance, so just because you no longer have your natural teeth doesn’t mean you should stop visiting a dentist. If you think you may need to make the switch to dentures, Lee Trevino Dental can help. Call us today!
