Dental Whitening History Explored - The ABC's of Teeth Whitening

                                                                                         

Society has long considered attractive teeth an important part of a person’s appearance. For this reason, people have long been concerned with having whiter teeth. Teeth whitening in its early phases was extremely rudimentary. In fact, some of the original teeth whitening procedures are downright cringeworthy.

Teeth whitening began innocently enough with people brushing their teeth. The original tooth brush was a chewing stick. People would break a piece of stick off a soft tree and chew on one end to keep their teeth clean and free of debris. In fact, they often chose trees known for their medicinal properties hoping to ward off bacteria.

Teeth whitening through brushing was enhanced when people started using toothpaste. However, it may shock you to learn what went into some of the first attempts at toothpaste. Egyptians used a mix of ground pumice and wine vinegar. The Romans used urine in their toothpaste because they believed it whitened the teeth. Disgusting as it was, their theory wasn’t far off base because urine contains ammonia and that actually made their teeth whiter. In fact, urine was used in whitening toothpaste until the 18th century.

During the middle ages the quest for whiter teeth intensified and barbers began performing the first teeth whitening procedures. In fact, barbers were the first dentists; they would cut hair and perform routine extractions. To help their clients get a whiter smile barbers would use nitric acid. However, this caused tooth decay and was eventually nixed as a teeth whitening procedure.

Despite the terrible results most people ended up with from the original teeth whitening procedures, mankind forged ahead. In the late 1800s, the Italians discovered fluoride and soon nitric acid and barbers in dental care were both a thing of the past. With dental professionals firmly in place the more modern teeth whitening procedures we use today quickly came into being.

About the author:
Whether you are interested in finding a Destin teeth whitening center or locating a sedation dentist or cosmetic dentist in Panama City, make sure you do your research. An experienced dentist can help you achieve the smile of your dreams.

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