No one would have believed…
Bromley is the most south-easterly borough of London, and a place of many great historical attractions and points of interest. Bromley’s namesake village, Bromley, is an area steeped in wonder and intrigue. It was here that renowned British author H.G Wells was born in 1866 and resided within the area for around 16 years. Famed for ‘War of the Worlds’ amongst other classics, it was his formative years spent in Bromley which helped Wells form his vivid and captivating mind and writing style. His vision of the future was formed in Bromley, and throughout the years, the village has grown into a bustling village, which houses many of the most reputable and reliable amenities across the country. These include award winning restaurants, cafes and boutique shops – as well as highly respected dental practices. Anyone who is seeking a reliable cosmetic dentist in Bromley, they can be assured that the area will meet their needs tenfold.
Cosmetic dentistry through the ages
Cosmetic dentistry is by no means a modern phenomenon, and has existed in some form or other for centuries. Some of the earliest recorded instances of cosmetic dentistry date as far back as the Etruscans period of around 700 BC, where ancient skulls were found to have dentures constructed from animal bone. Egyptians were also known to use a rudimentary toothpaste made from ground pumice stone, as well as replacing lost teeth with sea-shells. Whilst this may sound grizzley by modern standards, it is interesting to note that the desire for a perfect, white smile is not a contemporary one.
Clearing things up
Over the years, cosmetic dentistry as a science made numerous leaps and bounds, with each era making use of new and emerging technologies available. Each attempting to make patients’ teeth whiter, straighter and healthier. Cosmetic teeth whitening did not take shape as we would recognise it until around 1989, when Dr. Heymann and Dr. Haywood first had the notion of using carbamide peroxide as a whitening agent, which would go on to become common practice. It was also around this time that Heymann and Haywood’s whitening agent was responsible for the advent of home-whitening kits, which are now vastly popular the world over. Laser dentistry was actually initially invented in the 1960s as a method of treating gum disease, but it wasn’t until 1996 however that its applications within cosmetic dentistry first became apparent. This was the year the FDA first approved dental whitening through laser treatment, which combines heat and light with a peroxide bleaching agent – resulting in whiter teeth within a matter of minutes. Since it’s advent, laser-bleaching treatments have developed into a world-wide industry, and have been utilised and enjoyed by millions of patients across the globe.
The future is shining
Whilst the field of cosmetic dentistry has evolved greatly since the early days of the Etruscans, the discipline is showing no signs of slowing down in its development. Quite the contrary however thanks to the advancements afforded to us by the age of technological prowess we live in. Emerging technologies such as 3D printers and scanners now allow dentists to have a more accurate rendering of the insides of a patient’s teeth than ever before, which in turn allows them to tailor their services to the contours of each patient’s teeth in a way which was never before possible.
