History of Toothpaste

Do you wonder how Colgate and every other brand of toothpaste came about? Did it cross your mind about how and what people used before the invention of what we call Crest, Colgate, and Aquafresh-brands that are common to the United States? Around the year 23-79 A.D. the ancient way of practicing oral hygiene included everything from drinking goats milk for sweet breath to the ashes of burnt heads of mice, rabbits, wolves, ox heels and goats feet (this wouldn't go over too well in today's world because it sounds really gross). When the 18th Century rolled around the earliest record of actual toothpaste was in 1780 and consisted of scrubbing the teeth with a concoction containing burnt bread (which was common in North America as a breakfast item). 19th Century herbs and charcoal were the items used to make some kind of oral cleaning product and even flavoring it with fruits like strawberries that was so called claimed to prevent tartar and freshening one's breath. 20th Century had brought in something more p leasant and less gross than washing your mouth out with animal blood, burnt animal remains and ground up fish bones.

Liquid cleansers were created and flavored with chlorophyll which is what gives plants their green color and is good for freshening the breath. Bleeding gums and aching teeth-when dental hygiene was more up to date they were able to give proper terms for this problem and it was called pyorrhea and gingivitis which are commonly termed under the problem of gum and oral disease which was a problem back during the last half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th Century when people were not really taking much care of their teeth and if you were poor you didn't have access to a dentist unlike today you get the majority of your cleaning and exams from a dental hygienist which takes a lot of the work of a dentist off for them to focus on patients with more serious problems like root canals and cavities. Around 1915 eucalyptus plants were used for flavoring in oral care products as a means to freshen the breath. Fast forward through 20th century when toothpastes came into existence and the brands of today h ave all kinds of manmade ingredients like humectants (prevents hardening and caking), detergents (for cleaning purposes), foaming agents, fluoride, coloring, and sodium monofluorophosphate.

Now from the 90s to the 2000s people have now since changed over from stuff like Crest, Colgate, and Aquafresh to stuff like Tom's or some other organic brand of toothpaste that can be purchased at any supermarket that's beginning to carry them and finding the same at stores like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's that specialize in carrying natural and organic food. Natural toothpastes usually have stuff like myrrh, plant extracts and special oils derived from plants and fruits and some cleansing agents for the foaming affect. 21st century has introduced lines of toothpastes that contain peroxide for gum health, whitening so that people don't have to spend a lot for bleach jobs done by dentists, and are canker sore friendly. Most toothpastes are getting more elaborate with the whitening to the tartar control varieties by all brands from Colgate, Crest, Aquafresh, Aim, and Pepsodent. Either way as long as it cleans well and freshens your breath.