Before modern luxuries allowed toothpaste to be squeezed out of convenient plastic tubes, our ancestors used a variety of unique methods to make toothpaste. Maintain dental hygiene,
Clean teeth were valued in historical societies, although perhaps not as much as we do today. Contemporary facilities provide us with far greater opportunities for oral care.
So how did people in the past meet their dental needs with the best resources available?
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Although some of the substances historically used for teeth cleaning bear little resemblance to our current products, others have notable similarities.
Toothpaste from Ancient History
As early as 500 BC, societies have experimented with different ingredients to create paste-like substances for cleaning teeth, which predates the invention of the toothbrush.
ancient Egyptians There is documentation of people creating the first recipe for dental cream around the 4th century AD.
In the early 1800s, soap was added to toothpaste as a cleaning agent and to reduce bacteria. (Museum of London/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
A papyrus document was recovered containing a Ancient inscriptions The recipe called “Powder for white and beautiful teeth.”
According to National Geographic, the original mixture included a blend of salt, pepper, mint, and dried iris flowers. While the roughness of these ancient dental formulas was so rough that it commonly caused gums to bleed, modern toothpaste often contains hydrated silica for this very purpose.
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Heinz Neumann, Austrian dentistrecalled his experience with the Egyptian paste at a conference. He reported that it initially caused his gums to bleed but was better than 19th-century toothpaste recipes. He said, “This recipe would have been a great improvement over some of the soapy toothpastes used much later.”
Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used toothpaste to clean their teeth and freshen their breath. (History of advertising trust/heritage images/getty images)
Newman confirms that the ancient Egyptians used this paste dental care Long before the toothbrush even existed.
Other remedies called for more exotic ingredients such as the burnt ashes of an ox’s hoof or crushed eggshells. According to Frank Lippert of the Indiana University School of Dentistry, one remedy included “ashes of an ox’s hoof, myrrh, eggshells, and pumice.”
However, the Egyptians were not the only ones to use bizarre ingredients. Greek and Roman mixtures often included crushed bones and oyster shells, and charcoal was added for flavor.
Medieval Toothpaste Recipe
In the medieval period, from the 12th century to the 14th century, mainly non-abrasive methods were used for dental treatment and hygiene. The British Dental Journal says this included herbal remedies and amulets.
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According to National Geographic, one recipe from this period used honey, salt, and rye flour or powdered rye.
In 1850, “Cream Dentifrice” was marketed in jars. In 1873, Colgate began mass-producing toothpaste in jars. (Advertising Trust/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
‘Trotula’ Texts
In the 12th century, a collection of three texts on women’s health was discovered, called the “Trotula.” These texts are written in Latin and are attributed to Trota of Salerno, who was a female physician at the medical school in Salerno, Italy at the time.
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The Trotula contains a number of remedies for common dental ailments of the time. The texts suggest the following:
- Treatment of “black teeth”
- Removing wine stains from teeth
- teeth whitening
Trota of Salerno is considered the first female physician in Europe. She was born around 1040-1050. (DEA/ICAS94)
Toothpaste During the 1800s and 1900s
Around the 1800s, dental hygiene became a higher priority. Much of what was used for dental care during this era was similar to what it is today, and prescriptions did not cause gum bleeding as in previous eras.
One important difference from our modern versions is that these used soap.
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Around the 1900s, fluoride was discovered to be a useful teeth whitening agent and was added to most toothpastes. Toothpaste should contain fluoride According to the American Dental Association, obtaining the ADA Seal of Acceptance is required.
Modern toothpastes
These unique recipes served as the primary means for dental care before 1873, when Colgate introduced the first mass-produced toothpaste. Since Colgate’s introduction to the market, many variations have been produced.
These days, the plethora of toothpaste options available at drug stores can be overwhelming, often leading to a Decision Fatigue for Consumers,
Modern toothpastes often contain fluoride, flavorings, sweeteners, and colors. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg)
Despite the availability of commercial toothpaste, many homes continued to use traditional toothpaste. For example, the 1860 guidebook “The Practical Housewife” remained popular.
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It featured a popular toothpaste recipe that contained orris root, charcoal, Peruvian bark, prepared chalk, and essential oils of bergamot or lavender.
