Your Teeth

Smiling is the number one form of universal communication. Since the human species began, women and men have been fanatical in their efforts to have clean teeth and a sparkling smile. While some of the methods of yesteryear were crude to say the least, they served as a foundation for oral and dental hygiene as we know it today. Here\’s a brief but interesting history about teeth whitening.

The first ever toothbrushes were used in 3000 BC. These comprised of small branches that were scuffed at one end. People rubbed them on their teeth to get rid of food particles and other debris. In the 1400s the first toothbrush was invented by the Chinese. These had bamboo handles and hog hair bristles. They caught the attention of European traders who introduced them to many cultures.

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.

The Squibb Company caused a dental revolution when it introduced the first electric toothbrush in 1961. The product received the stamp of approval from the American Dental Association and, over the coming years, the electric toothbrush became much improved. Today they are battery operated, cordless, and even sonic.

The first records of teeth whitening show that the Egyptians were the first to attempt this process. As far back as 2000 BC they would rub their teeth with a mix of wine vinegar and ground pumice stone. Not very pleasant! But even worse were the Romans who used human urine to whiten their teeth.

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.

During the 1800s Italian dentists discovered that fluoride could remove discolorations on teeth. This began a move in the 1840s to get children to suck sweetened fluoride lozenges. The results were so good that fluoride was added to drinking water and put in toothpastes and mouthwashes because it also reduced tooth decay. Unfortunately it was later learned that fluoride actually caused discoloration of the teeth in adult years.

Here we are now in the 21st Century and mankind is still making efforts to get the ultimate smile with teeth whitening procedures and products. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry there has been an increase of 300 percent in the last five years in the number of bleaching and whitening procedures. These are a far cry from methods used by our ancestors!