History of Teeth Whitening
Toothbrushes have been around for 5,000 years. Of course, in 3,000 BC they didn’t look much like what we’d use today. Instead people chewed on sticks to clean their teeth. This practise continued for millennia's and
are still used by some less developed peoples today.
However, around the turn of
the 16th century, the first
bristle toothbrushes appeared
in China, made of wood or bone
with hogs hair bristles. The idea was imported to Europe by traders but only the
affluent classes usually bothered about cleaning their teeth, and even then it was most common for people to use toothpicks rather than brushes.
Sugar was a luxury and it was
actually considered stylish to
have blackened teeth as the
more sugar you ate the darker
your teeth became and if you
could afford such luxury you
were considered Stylish.
Teeth whitening itself began with the first toothpaste, actually used by the ancient Egyptians 4000 years ago. They cleaned their teeth with a mixture of powdered pumice stone and wine vinegar. The ancient Romans whitened their teeth using urine! In fact, ammonia and similar chemicals are still used as active ingredients in teeth whitening products today.
During the 17th century if you wanted your teeth whitened you would most likely visit the barbers shop. Barbers often doubled as dentists in those days. The teeth would be filed with a metal file and then have an acid applied which whitened the teeth but eventually led to severe tooth decay!
Fluoride was first discovered as a means of keeping teeth healthy during the 19th century. But at the same time as it was found that fluoride reduced the risk of cavities, it was also noticed that it could lead to staining of the teeth, especially if significant amounts of fluoride were swallowed.
Teeth Whitening Today
Today a white smile is even more important than ever before as more and more of us want to make sure we look our best. We also have a much better understanding of what it is that causes our teeth to become stained and discoloured – which means we can also understand better how to counteract the problem and get whiter teeth.
Teeth staining and discolouration is caused by a range of factors – certain foods and drinks including coffee and red wine, tobacco, and certain medications such as Tetracycline, all contribute to discoloured teeth.
Now with the availability of teeth whitening products that are inexpensive and easy to use, like
Smile-Bright Teeth Whitening Kits, its now easier than ever to have that bright, white smile you’ve always wanted.
