Teeth Whitening: How did it all start?
Teeth remain an integral part of humanity itself – without our set of grinders, who knows exactly how we will be able to chew our food? In order to continue to exist and eventually reproduce, we need to find nourishment for our bodies. In the early days of man, the importance of having a strong set of molars was just as important as filling the body with food.
It wasn’t until recent years that mankind shifted focus on teeth as an asset, a beautifying element that formed a face. For one to understand how teeth whitening started, a part of history has to be unearthed. What were the tools used for cleaning teeth? Did people of the past really take pains to have clean, white teeth?
The earliest forms of toothbrushes can be traced back to 3000 BC when Romans used frayed ends of a branch to remove particles from their teeth. They called these implements “chew sticks” for the fact that they were literally made of sticks and were chewed on in the effort to scrape off food residue. Following chew sticks, the ancient
Chinese introduced the first toothbrush around 1948. Though it was a far cry from today’s modern nylon toothbrushes, it was at the same time, a leap of progress from the crude chew sticks of the Romans.
This time, the bristles were actually thick hair taken from the nape of Siberian hogs and wedged into handheld bamboo sticks or into ivory or bone moulding. European merchants who frequented China brought this new implement to their own country – a move that was met with much criticism by the refined French nobles.
In 1938, a man named Du Pont discovered nylon. He found that it was the perfect material to use for a toothbrush and proceeded to make the Dr. West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush, instantly eradicating the use of hog hair.
Because the first toothbrush model had tough nylon bristles, some dentists discouraged its use. Eventually Du Pont produced a softer kind of nylon and came up with the Park Avenue Toothbrush which was an instant success.
Immediately after the invention of the first toothbrush, a barrage of other dental products flooded the consumer market – electric toothbrushes, toothpastes with fluorides, mouthwashes, dental floss and teeth whitening services. Suddenly there was allure in flashing a bright smile with a set of sparkling white teeth!
Teeth-whitening is not something new at all – following the development of dental products in the late 18th century, the process was actually performed by barbers back then. Yes, barbers! They would file your teeth with and apply acid to make it white. While it successfully whitened teeth, it also destroyed the enamel.
Today, teeth whitening can be as easy as teeth cleaning. Done by a professional dentist, this procedure can last as short as an hour. You can also opt for at-home procedures. Just by searching on the internet can bring you loads of information on home teeth whitening treatments.
