Imagine walking into a dental clinic because one of your front teeth is sticking out slightly. It’s crowding the others, and you want a straighter smile.
Now, imagine the dentist doesn’t reach for clear aligners or suggest braces. Instead, he pulls out a rough, metal file and says, “No problem, let’s just file that tooth down until it fits.” No numbing shots. No precise measurements. Just filing away the healthy tooth structure until it’s small enough to not overlap.
It sounds like a scene from a horror movie, doesn’t it?
Believe it or not, for a long time in human history, this was the “gold standard” for dealing with crowded teeth. Specifically, this was the philosophy of Pliny the Elder, a famous Roman author and naturalist.
At 1st Dental Clinic here in Bukit Jelutong, we love history—but we are incredibly grateful that dental technology has evolved. Let’s take a journey back to the gruesome reality of ancient orthodontics and look at why today is the best time in history to fix a crowded smile.
Pliny the Elder: The “Fixer” of the Ancient World
Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) was a man who had an opinion on everything. He wrote Natural History, an encyclopedia attempting to cover all ancient knowledge. While he was brilliant in observing nature, his dental advice leaves us cringing today.
Pliny observed that sometimes, teeth grew in doubled rows or were pushed out of alignment due to a lack of space. His solution? File them down.
His texts suggested that if a tooth was growing incorrectly or causing crowding, one should file it down level with the others using a mechanical file. In some cases, if a tooth was malformed, he suggested removing it entirely—often with tools that looked more like pliers from a garage than dental instruments.
Why Was This the Standard?
To understand why Pliny suggested this, we have to understand what the ancients didn’t know.
They didn’t realize that teeth are movable. They viewed teeth like rocks set in concrete. If the rocks were too big for the space, their logical calculation was to make the rocks smaller.
They didn’t understand malocclusion (which is the clinical term for misaligned teeth or a ‘bad bite’). They thought the problem was the size of the tooth, not the size of the jaw or the position of the root.
The Gruesome Reality of Ancient “Orthodontics”
For our Anxious Patients reading this, take a deep breath. We promise this part is history, not current practice!
The reality of the “file it down” method was harsh for several reasons:
- No Anesthesia: Effective dental aesthetics were centuries away. Patients felt every stroke of the file.
- Nerve Exposure: Teeth have a sensitive center called the pulp. Filing a tooth down too far exposes the nerve, leading to excruciating pain and eventual infection.
- Tooth Loss: Without sealing the filed tooth (because fillings weren’t really a thing yet), bacteria would rot the tooth from the inside out.
Think of it this way: It’s like cutting off your toes because your shoes are too tight. It “solves” the fit problem, but the cost is drastic and permanent damage.
The Renaissance of the Jaw: Moving, Not Removing
Fast forward a few thousand years. As our understanding of anatomy grew, dentistry shifted from “filing” to “moving.”
Pioneers like Pierre Fauchard, known as the father of modern dentistry, began to understand that teeth were anchored in bone that could be reshaped. If you applied gentle, constant pressure, the bone would dissolve on one side and rebuild on the other, allowing the tooth to travel.
This was a game-changer. It meant we didn’t have to destroy healthy enamel to get a straight smile. We just needed patience and the right mechanics.
Modern Solutions: Expanding Considerations
Today, at 1st Dental Clinic, when we see a patient with crowded teeth—whether it’s a 7-year-old child or a 40-year-old business owner—we look at the foundation, not just the teeth.
1. Early Intervention (For the Proactive Parent)
For children, we often see crowding because the jaw hasn’t developed enough width to hold adult teeth. Instead of pulling teeth or filing them later, we can use functional appliances.
Palatal Expanders gently widen the upper jaw. It’s painless and takes advantage of the fact that a child’s growth plates haven’t fused yet.
- The Analogy: Imagine a door frame is too narrow to fit a sofa through. Pliny would saw the sofa in half. Modern orthodontics widens the door frame so the sofa fits perfectly intact.
2. High-Tech Alignment (For the Ambitious Professional)
For adults, we can’t grow the jaw the same way, but we can use sophisticated technology to move teeth efficiently.
- Clear Aligners (like Invisalign): These use digital mapping to find the most efficient path for each tooth.
- Self-Ligating Braces: Modern braces create less friction and move teeth faster than the metal tracks of the past.
3. Does “Filing” Ever Happen Today?
Ironically, yes—but it is nothing like Pliny’s method. It is called Interproximal Reduction (IPR).
Sometimes, to make space and avoid extracting a healthy tooth, we polish a fraction of a millimeter (literally the thickness of a few sheets of paper) from the sides of the teeth.
- It is painless (no nerves are touched).
- It is microscopic compared to ancient methods.
- It actually creates flat surfaces that can make the teeth more stable once aligned.
Why You Shouldn’t Try “DIY” Dentistry
We live in an era of TikTok hacks, and terrifyingly, there have been trends of people using nail files on their teeth to “even them out.”
Please, do not do this.
As we learned from the history of infections in Pliny’s time, your enamel protects the living part of your tooth. Once you file it away, it does not grow back. You risk sensitivity, decay, and nerve damage. Leave the contouring to the professionals who have the tools to measure enamel thickness safely.
The ROI on a Modern Smile
For the Health-Conscious Senior or the Ambitious Professional, investing in orthodontic correction isn’t just about vanity. It is about longevity.
- Better Hygiene: Straight teeth are easier to clean. Crowded teeth trap food, leading to gum disease.
- Jaw Health: A proper bite reduces strain on the jaw joint (TMJ), preventing headaches and wear.
- Confidence: There is a documented psychological benefit to having a confident smile, which impacts social and professional interactions.
Conclusion: Be Glad You Live in the 21st Century
We have come a long way from Pliny the Elder and his metal files. Today, dentistry is about preservation, comfort, and aesthetics. We understand that your teeth are a vital part of your overall health.
Whether you are a parent worried about your child’s erupting teeth, or an adult finally ready to fix that crowding that has bothered you for years, you don’t have to fear the dentist’s chair.
We promise to use digital scanners and clear aligners—and we’ll leave the heavy-duty files in the history books where they belong.
Are you ready to explore modern, pain-free options for a straighter smile?
Visit us at 1st Dental Clinic in Bukit Jelutong. Let’s give you the smile you deserve without the ancient torture methods.