Teeth Whitening Began In 3000 BC
A smile is a universal form of communication. Ever since mankind began, men and women have been obsessed with efforts to keep their teeth clean and bright to enhance their smiles. Some of the methods used were pretty crude by today’s standards but they laid the foundation for the modern approach to oral hygiene. Let’s take a brief look at the history of teeth whitening.
In 3000 BC toothbrushes were known as chew sticks, made of little branches that were frayed at one end. Our forefathers cleaned their teeth with these to remove debris. In the early 1400s the Chinese were the first people to use a toothbrush with a bamboo handle and hog bristles. European traders were very interested in these objects and took them home. From then, many cultures and countries began to use similar toothbrushes.
Louis Pasteur, a French bacteriologist, caused some alarm when he discovered germs. People learned that hog bristles could be responsible for oral infections. Scientists continued to search for a more sanitized substitute, but they were only successful in 1935 when nylon was discovered by Wallace Corothers.
Dr West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush was the result. A leading company, du Pont, started to market this product right through America. The public was told about the drawbacks of hog hair and the many advantages of nylon. The only problem was that the ‘miracle’ toothbrush was so rigid that it harmed gums. Dentists wanted nothing to do with them. Du Pont continued its efforts and 20 years later, the soft-bristled nylon Park Avenue toothbrush was launched.
1961 was a year of acclaim in the dental world when the Squibb Company launched the very first electric toothbrush which was approved by the American Dental Association. Technology increased rapidly and, over the ensuing years, the electric toothbrush developed rapidly. Today we have battery operated ones, cordless ones and even sonic ones.
Teeth whitening began with the Egyptians in 2000 BC. They concocted a substance using wine vinegar and powdered pumice stone which was applied to the teeth with a chew stick. If you think that sounds awful, the Romans were even worse – they used human urine. Roman doctors were convinced that urine had teeth whitening properties.
History shows that it wasn’t dentists who offered teeth whitening to the public. It was in fact barbers who were often asked to extract rotting teeth. After filing the teeth, they would apply a caustic acid as a whitener. It proved to be effective but, in the process, the enamel was destroyed.
Italian dentists discovered in the 1800s that tooth discolorations could be removed with fluoride. Parents were encouraged to let their children suck on candy that contained fluoride. The results were so pleasing that fluoride was added to mouthwashes, toothpastes and even to drinking water. Years later it was discovered that fluoride was responsible for adult tooth discoloration.
So here we are in the 21st Century and we are still trying to get the perfect smile with pearly white teeth. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry reports a 300 percent increase in the number of whitening and bleaching procedures done over the past 5 years. These are much safer and more effective than the unsophisticated methods of yesteryear!
Invisalign braces Toronto is an inexpensive way to straighten and enhance your smile dramatically. Cosmetic dentist Toronto offers various tooth whitening options to help you achieve the look that you want.