Get to Learn the History of Tooth Whitening

Teeth whitening has been popular for many years. People have always wanted to have their teeth looking sparkling white. White teeth brighten up the smile and are said to make people more approachable. In fact, having white teeth is a sign of good oral hygiene.

Technological advancements have given rise to many teeth whitening procedures. Some people will opt for toothpastes which are designed to whiten the teeth. Others will go for strips, trays and also cosmetic dentistry like professional teeth whitening done at the dental clinic. Let’s take a look at how teeth whitening begun in the early years.

Ancient Egyptians Teeth Whitening

In ancient Egypt, teeth whitening was given a lot of importance. Men and women alike would go to great lengths to whiten their teeth in order to improve their overall appearance. It was considered as a sign of beauty. Most people who went for teeth whitening procedures at the time were the high-class citizens. In fact, having teeth that were whiter than average was a sign of wealth and superior social ranking in ancient Egypt.

Egyptians had a rather primitive method of whitening teeth. They prepared a mixture of pumice and white vinegar and then rubbed it on their teeth. This worked because the ingredients had active compounds that would whiten teeth naturally.

Romans Teeth Whitening

The process of whitening teeth was also common among the Roman population. They had a very unique way of whitening their teeth. Romans used human urine for teeth whitening. Urine contains high levels of ammonia which is known to be a strong bleaching agent. The ammonia would bleach the teeth due to its acidity and leave them slightly whitened.

Teeth Whitening in the 17th Century

By the 17th century, there were some slight changes in the methods used to whiten teeth. At this time, people did not go for teeth whitening at dental clinics. The procedures were done by barbers who used primitive methods such as a metal file that was rubbed on the surface of teeth in order to whiten them. However, procedures like this would only cause more harm than good. Rubbing the tooth with a metal file will expose it and make it very prone to decay.

Teeth Whitening Today

In the 19th century, advanced procedures were now used to whiten teeth. People got rid of the primitive tools such as sticks and metal rods and adopted safer and less painful teeth whitening techniques. Components like hydrogen peroxide were widely accepted not only as effective teeth whitening agents but also due to their role in helping to treat gum disease. By the 19th century, people started visiting dental clinics to have safe teeth whitening procedures done. Experiments were done to come up with effective procedures to whiten teeth without causing any harm or exposing the area to gum disease.

By 1989, dentists discovered a gel that was made using opalescence carbamide peroxide that is one of the best teeth whitening agents in the world. Tooth pastes, dental procedures and home remedies used this gel to improve the effectiveness of teeth whitening.