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| A dentist's advertisement for real human teeth |
The above advertisement from 1792 may seem funny to some of our readers, but it was a reality for dentists who had no other option but to advertise for human teeth so they could make dentures for their wealthy patients.
Upper-class British aristocrats had terrible teeth due to their overconsumption of sugar and sugary foods, liquor, and wines - all of which rotted and discolored their teeth. They tried to whiten their teeth but the procedure ended up destroying the enamel. They needed dentures, preferred to have human teeth, and were willing to pay high prices because human teeth were in very short supply.
Grave robbers jumped at the chance to make some money and used pliers to yank out the teeth of any dead soldier as long as the teeth were in good condition to sell them.
Once the dentist bought the teeth, they would be boiled, the ends chopped off, and shaved down to shape them to fit in with the other teeth on the dentures.
According to a June 2015 BBC article, dentists would acquire the live human teeth, fasten them with rivets onto ivory dentures, then file them to make them uniform.
This next picture shows teeth that were taken from dead Waterloo soldiers and strung up on piano wire to be offered for sale. By 1832, human teeth or "Waterloo teeth" were starting to phase out because of advancements in dentistry.
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| Dentures used to be made from real teeth of soldiers who died at Waterloo |
An ivory denture with human teeth could cost over £100.
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| In early days of dentistry, dentures were held together with springs |
But there were a few rural dentists and jewelers who still advertised as late as 1851 for human teeth.
At the time of the Battle of Waterloo, says the BDA Museum's Rachel Bairsto, anyone could call themselves a dentist and give you medical advice about your teeth. You might even go to a jeweler to get your dentures adjusted.
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