While you may not always enjoy visiting your dentist, dental patients in the Middle Ages really had it rough. In the Middle Ages, healthy, white teeth were considered to be signs of wealth and beauty, and people spent quite a bit of money on teeth cleaning and teeth whitening powders.

It was rare for anyone to suffer from missing teeth due to tooth decay, as people rarely consumed sugar during the Middle Ages. The infrequency of tooth decay was particularly beneficial due to the fact that only the wealthy could afford to replace missing teeth, using dentures made from cow bones or human teeth. Dentistry procedures and techniques were crude, and dental problems were often just treated by extracting a tooth. Barbers performed most procedures, and could also treat oral cancer by cutting out infected flesh and cauterizing the wound.

At University Associates in Dentistry, our dentists in Chicago use only the safest and most advanced methods of dentistry. We specialize in cosmetic dentistry, general dentistry, and sports dentistry, and can also provide sleep apnea treatment. To schedule a dental consultation with one of our experienced dentists, call us today at (312) 704-5511.

One of the main advantages of living in the modern era is our access to safe, pain-free, effective dentistry. During the Roman Empire, however, dentistry was more advanced than you may be aware.

The Romans adopted many of their dental practices from their predecessors, the Etruscans. The Romans used opium for pain relief during dental treatments. Roman dentists were able to insert gold fillings into decayed teeth and may even have been able to replace missing teeth with primitive forms of dental prosthetics. They removed any gold fillings and teeth from the mouths of corpses before burial, however. In the Etruscan belief system it was considered taboo to allow gold objects to come into close proximity with the dead.

At University Associates in Dentistry, we honor the daring spirit and dedication to healing which those Roman dentists showed. Our own equipment and procedures, however, are fully modern. To find out more about we help present-day Chicagoans care for their teeth, visit our website or call us at (312) 704-5511.