Toothpaste

Toothpaste, also known as dentifrice, is a paste, gel or powder. It is used to clean an maintain healthy teeth. Toothpaste used together with the toothbrush, helps to remove dental plaque and food from your teeth and prevents tooth and gum disease.  Brushing your teeth is part of your daily oral hygiene routine.

History of  Toothpastes

In ancient Egypt, tooth powder were said to be made of crushed oxen hooves, burnt egg shells, myrrh and water. The Greeks, Romans and Persians were said to used ingredients such as crushed oyster shells, snail shells, crushed bones and gypsum (a type of white rock). There were no toothbrush then, so these early toothpastes were either used alone or applied with twigs from neem tree and miswak.

In the 18^th Century

In North America, the toothpaste formula consist of burnt bread. Other recipes for tooth cleaning include dragon’s blood (a type of resin), burnt alum (a type of salt that is toxic to humans in large quantities), charcoal and cinnamon. And in England, tooth cleaning powder made from borax were sold in ceramic pots. Borax is highly abrasive and often caused damage to the tooth enamel.

In the 19^th Century

Most homemade toothpaste were made from salt, chalk, crushed rock or granite. Toothpastes were first mass-produced in the 19^th century in jars. And in 1892, Dr. Washington Sheffield after seeing how painters in Paris used paints in collapsible tubes, got the idea to package toothpaste into tubes. In 1896. Colgate Company following Dr. Sheffield, manufactured a toothpaste called Colgate & Company Dental Cream into collapsible tubes. The collapsible tubes were then made of lead. Due to shortage of lead during Second World War, a combination of materials such as aluminum, paper and plastic were used. Plastic tubes became widely used in the 20^th century.

In the 20^th Century

After the Second World War, there were great advancements in the development of toothpaste. The discovery that fluoride could reduce dental cavities, led to the use of fluoride in toothpaste.  Artificial sweeteners and coloring, synthetic foaming and thickening agents are now part of the ingredients in most toothpaste. In the late 20^th century, due to the demand for tooth whitening products, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are now found in some toothpastes. Along with it the demand for natural products lead to toothpastes made from herbs such as mint, camomile, calendula and neem.

Toothpaste For Adults

Toothpaste For Children