Who made the first dentures and what were they made from?

BRY2K

"Dentists" have been used to replace lost teeth since at least 700 B.C. Approximately around 700 B.C, the first standard for denture design was established by the Etruscans, the ancient ancestors of modern Italians, and called for dentures to be made out of either human or other animal teeth. Around the 15th century, the first set of European dentures were made and started to resemble what dentures look like today. These dentures were crafted from ivory or bone, or sometimes even made from teeth sourced from graveyards, the recently deceased or living donors who exchanged their healthy teeth for money. Unlike modern dentures, these dentures were extremely uncomfortable and unsightly and usually deteriorated after extended use The first porcelain dentures were made around 1770 by Alexis Duchâteau. In 1791 the first British patent was granted to Nicholas Dubois De Chemant, previous assistant to Duchateau, for "De Chemant's Specification", "a composition for the purpose of making of artificial teeth either single double or in rows or in complete sets and also springs for fastening or affixing the same in a more easy and effectual manner than any hitherto discovered which said teeth may be made of any shade or colour, which they will retain for any length of time and will consequently more perfectly resemble the natural teeth." http://www.ehow.com/about_4626520_history-dentures.html# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dentures http://www.orlandodenturesandimplants.com/dentures/what-are-dentures Oct 26 09, 3:39 AM