Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used to clean and improve the aesthetic appearance and health of teeth. In some countries, due to translation issues, it is commonly referred to as "Toothcream. more...

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" Toothpaste use can promote good oral hygiene: it can aid in the removal of dental plaque and food from the teeth, it can aid in the elimination and/or masking of halitosis, and it can deliver active ingredients such as fluoride to prevent tooth and gums (Gingivitis) disease. In most or all developed countries, usage after each meal is encouraged. However excessive usage may cause kidney failure due to the body's attempt at digesting the toothpaste's chemicals which often slide down the throat with each use. If a large amount of toothpaste is swallowed, Poison Control should be contacted immediately.

History

It is believed that first traces of oral hygiene were found to be dated around 5000 years ago in Egypt, China, Mongolia and India.

India has a long history of Ayurveda, an Indian form of medicine. Neem twigs (a.k.a. daatun) were used for brushing teeth in India. This practice is perhaps one of the earliest and most effective forms of dental care and is still prevalent in villages in India. The usage is simple: chew one end of the neem twig until it somewhat resembles the bristles of a toothbrush, and then use it to brush your teeth. The tooth brush seems to have its origins in the daatun. Similarly, the Miswak served as a very effective natural toothbrush in the medieval Islamic world and is still used in the modern Islamic world.

The earliest known reference to a toothpaste is in a manuscript from Egypt in the 4th century AD, which prescribes a mixture of powdered salt, pepper, mint leaves, and iris flowers. The Romans used toothpaste formulations based on human urine. In the 9th century, the Persian musician and fashion designer Ziryab is known to have invented a type of toothpaste, which he popularized throughout Islamic Spain. The exact ingredients of this toothpaste are not currently known, but it was reported to have been both "functional and pleasant to taste."

An 18th century American toothpaste recipe containing burnt bread has been found. Another formula around this time called for dragon's blood (a resin), cinnamon, and burnt alum. However, toothpastes or powders did not come into general use in the West until the 19th century in Britain. In the early 1800s, the toothbrush was usually used only with water, but tooth powders soon gained popularity. Most were home made, with chalk, pulverized brick, and salt being common ingredients. An 1866 Home Encyclopedia recommended pulverized charcoal, and cautioned that many patented tooth powders that were commercially marketed did more harm than good.

Read more at Wikipedia.org