Question: When and where were the first dental bridges made?
Answer: According to Marshall Joseph Becker in "The Valsiarosa Gold Dental Appliance," from ETRUSCAN STUDIES: JOURNAL OF THE ETRUSCAN FOUNDATION. VOLUME 6, 1999, the first use of dental appliances or bridges comes from the Etruscans, whose masterful goldworkers made gold dental bridges for women so they could show off their wealth. Becker says the Etruscans were the first to use dental bridges and retention bands over 2600 years ago. Some Etruscan women would have their incisors removed (a process called "tooth ablation" or evulsion) so they could be fitted with the gold prosthetics.
