Hopefully, we all use toothpaste at least twice a day, but can you imagine a time in history when this main ingredient for oral health did not exist? Actually, the use of toothpaste may go back much further than you may have thought.
It seems like those ancient Egyptians were big on oral hygiene and it is said that they started using a paste to clean their teeth as far back as 5000 BC, even before toothbrushes were invented. It is known that the Ancient Greeks and Romans also had used some form of toothpaste, or a tooth cleaner.
Though our ancient ancestors were most likely concerned with the same oral hygiene issues that we have today – cleaning the teeth and gums from food particles and keeping the breath fresh, the ingredients were quite different and varied. It has been reported that ancient Egyptians used ingredients like ashes, burnt eggshells, pumice and even a powder made of ox hooves. The Greeks and Romans, who liked even a more abrasive teeth cleaner, used crushed bones and shells, with a little powdered charcoal and bark to help freshen the breath. Historians suggest that the world’s oldest-known actual formula for toothpaste was created by Egyptians, in the year 4 AD. They used crushed rock salt, mint, dried flowers, and pepper mixed together to create an abrasive powder. The people in China and India, who until this day incorporate exotic herbs in their recipes, first used toothpaste around 500 BC and used ingredients such as ginseng, herbal mints and salt.
In the year 1780, it was know that people cleaned their teeth with a powder that was mostly made, oddly enough, of burnt toast! Early versions of tooth cleansers in the 1800’s were in powder form and included ingredients such as soap, chalk and ground charcoal. In 1873, Colgate was the first to mass-produce toothpaste in jars, and then, in the 1890’s, produced it in tubes, similar to what we know today.
By the early 1900’s, in the U.S., toothpaste was still only used occasionally, despite country-wide dental problems, until a well-known advertising man named Claude Hopkins, helped its use become a daily habit. Being know for turning unknown products into household names (i.e. Quaker Oats), he was commissioned to create a national ad campaign for Pepsodent Toothpaste. His winning ad scared consumers about a dangerous film lurking in their mouth that would rob teeth of their whiteness, unless they used Pepsodent Toothpaste religiously. This successful campaign had Americans jumping on the daily tooth brushing with toothpaste bandwagon! The rest is history.
Fluoride, known for its cavity-fighting benefits, was introduced into toothpaste in 1914. Up until 1945 toothpaste contained soap, but was then replaced by other ingredients to make it more like the smooth paste or emulsion that we use today.
Park View’s Point of View
At Park View Pediatric Dentistry, we place a great deal of importance on preventative dentistry, always striving for our patients to have a cavity-free visit. We promote brushing two times a day for two minutes with a good toothpaste that has a flavor that that your child will enjoy. There are many wonderful, effective toothpastes on the market today. We strongly recommend a toothpaste containing fluoride, which is proven to reduce cavities. This is especially important if you are in an area where the public water does not contain fluoride or you are choosing to drink bottled water that does not contain fluoride. We often discuss toothpaste options and benefits with our young patient’s parents to find the right family choice. In any case we want parents to promote healthy oral habits and lots of brushing, while you squeeze those tubes away!
We’ve come along way from the ancient Egyptians. Here’s to continuing the history of great oral health with the use of toothpaste.
You can contact us at:
Park View Pediatric Dentistry
212-879-6518
www.ParkViewPedDent.com
FAQs
Dental Creams in the Ancient World
What are the historical facts about toothpaste? ›
Toothpaste in ancient cultures
Like toothbrushes, Egyptians used a paste to clean their teeth around 5000 B.C., even before toothbrushes were invented! Ancient Greeks and Romans are also known to have used toothpaste, and people in China and India used toothpaste around 500 B.C. as well.
What happened before toothpaste was invented? ›
Before modern-day toothpaste was created, pharmacists mixed and sold tooth cream or powder. Early tooth powders were made from something abrasive, like talc or crushed seashells, mixed with essential oils, such as eucalyptus or camphor, thought to fight germs.
Why was the invention of toothpaste important? ›
In 1914, toothpastes that contained fluoride were introduced, helping fight cavities, stimulate saliva, and improve other areas of oral and dental health. Thankfully, we've come a long way!
What is the history of aim toothpaste? ›
Aim was introduced in 1973 by Unilever, and the brand was purchased by Church and Dwight in 2003. In Australia, it is manufactured and distributed by Pental. Aquafresh: available since 1973, it is manufactured by consumer healthcare product maker GlaxoSmithKline.
What is a crazy fact about toothpaste? ›
Things You Didn't Know About Toothpaste
- The first “toothpaste” was made in 5000 BC. ...
- Tooth powder was popular for a long period of time before toothpaste was invented. ...
- Not all toothpastes contain fluoride. ...
- Toothpaste is composed of 20-42% water.
Strangely, toothpaste actually pre-dates the toothbrush. “Around 3,000–5,000 B.C., ancient Egyptians first developed a dental cream which contained powdered ashes from oxen hooves, myrrh, egg shells and pumice,” Frank Lippert of the Indiana University School of Dentistry wrote in a 2003 monograph.
How long do teeth last without brushing? ›
One week without brushing:
After a week, the enamel on your teeth will start to fail. The plaque that hasn't been removed will increase the development of bad breath. Cleaning a plaque-ridden tooth is difficult. If you don't brush your teeth for a week, you're more likely to develop cavities.
Who made the first toothpaste? ›
The first toothpaste is said to have been created in 1824 by Dr. Peabody. He combined soap with dental paste to help make the first toothpaste. Later in the 1850s, John Harris added chalk as an ingredient to get closer to toothpaste as we know it.
What is the oldest toothpaste? ›
Known as the world's oldest recipe for toothpaste, found in the basem*nt of a Viennese museum, is a 4th century (AD) Egyptian document that recommends crushing together one part each rock salt and dried iris flower with two parts of mint and a pinch of pepper for a “powder for white and perfect teeth.”
Crest is an American brand of toothpaste and other oral hygiene products made by American multinational Procter & Gamble (P&G) and sold worldwide.
What toothpaste for a 1 year old? ›
Orajel Fluoride-Free Training Toothpaste
It's intended for children as young as 4 months up through 24 months, or 2 years old. It's free from alcohol, SLS, parabens, aspartame, dyes, and sugar. Parents say their little ones like the berry flavor, and it's also safe to swallow.
Did NASA invent toothpaste? ›
To help keep astronauts' (yes, astronauts) teeth clean while in space, NASA invented an edible toothpaste that could be swallowed after brushing. Edible toothpaste was then repurposed for young children to use, because it did not present a risk if it was ingested.
Who invented toothpaste when? ›
The history of toothpaste dates back to ancient civilizations, with the Egyptians being one of the first to develop a dental cleaning substance around 5000 BC. They used crushed bones, oyster shells, and powdered herbs like mints to create a primitive toothpaste.
How did people clean their teeth before toothpaste? ›
Salt and charcoal were often rubbed across the teeth and then rinsed away. However, the most common way of taking care of teeth involved taking a birch twig and fraying the end, making a primitive brush. Dental powders were also used. They were made from strange concoctions of burned eggshells ashes and animal hooves.
How was the first toothpaste invented? ›
The ancient Egyptians around 5000BC created what is believed to be the very first toothpaste. It wasn't a paste but a powder. The 'tooth-powder' was made from crushed rock salt, mint, pepper, and dried iris flowers. Sometimes, other abrasive materials like ox-hoof ashes, burnt eggshells, or oyster shells were added.
What is the ancient history of toothbrushes and toothpaste? ›
Egyptians are believed to have started using a paste to clean their teeth around 5000BC, before toothbrushes were invented. Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have used toothpastes, and people in China and India first used toothpaste around 500BC.
What was the first toothpaste ever made? ›
The earliest form of toothpaste was actually a powder used by the ancient Egyptians as far back as 5000 BC. This powder consisted of crushed eggshells, pumice, ash, and myrrh. The Egyptians most likely used their fingers to scrub their teeth with this powder, helping to clean the teeth and freshen the breath.
What are some facts about toothpaste in ancient Egypt? ›
Early Egyptian Toothpaste
The earliest recorded formula is from 4 A.D., but experts believe Egyptians used toothpaste as long ago as 5,000 B.C. Experts believe this earliest toothpaste was from myrrh, oxen hooves, water, pumice, and eggshells.
What is the oldest toothpaste in the world? ›
Historians suggest that the world's oldest-known actual formula for toothpaste was created by Egyptians, in the year 4 AD. They used crushed rock salt, mint, dried flowers, and pepper mixed together to create an abrasive powder.
Hopefully, we all use toothpaste at least twice a day, but can you imagine a time in history when this main ingredient for oral health did not exist? Actually, the use of toothpaste may go back much further than you may have thought.