Since the 17th century, archaeological evidence for dental prosthetics and restorative dentistry has constantly increased.
Artificial dentures first appeared in central Europe among the upper classes; however, they were mainly used for aesthetic
reasons. It was not until the 19th century that the raw material of hard rubber made it possible to manufacture a functional
dental prosthesis in which porcelain teeth were inserted. With the development of synthetic plastics, dentures became a
mass product. Based on burials from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the paper traces the most important steps in the
development of dental prosthetics and presents, in addition to the materials used, other technical aspects concerning the
anchoring of the teeth and the attachment of the prosthesis in the mouth. The interplay of these parameters can contribute
to a dating of a burial in the sense of a terminus post quem. At the same time, based on our sample we discuss the availability
and affordability of such measures for different social classes. Using our database we explore the potential of the
typo-chronological
and social classification of dental appliances between the 17th and the mid-20th century