Today, the phrase marfil dental carries a heavy weight. The 20th-century collapse of elephant populations due to the ivory trade has led to a global CITES ban (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Antique dental ivory pieces are now illegal to trade in most countries unless certified pre-convention (pre-1947) or with proper provenance.

Consequently, marfil dental is no longer a material in use. It survives as a collector’s curiosity for medical history museums and as a somber reminder of how our medical solutions can impact the natural world. What was once the pinnacle of cosmetic dentistry is now a ghost material—beautiful, functional in its time, but ethically impossible to recreate.

The term marfil dental —Spanish for "dental ivory"—evokes a fascinating intersection of natural history, craftsmanship, and medical ethics. While it might sound like a specific material, it generally refers to the historical use of elephant ivory, and sometimes hippopotamus or walrus ivory, in the creation of dentures and dental prosthetics before the advent of modern polymers.