Toothpaste dates back as far as 5000 BC. Ancient Egyptians were using a tooth powder to maintain a clean mouth. They didn’t use a toothbrush; just their fingers. The Greeks and Romans improved upon the process, but it wasn’t until 1873 that toothpaste was first mass-produced.
- The toothpaste of the Egyptians was made of mashed salt, crushed pepper, wet mint leaves, and dried iris flower.
- The Greeks and Romans used a more abrasive formulation containing bones and oyster shells. In Rome toothpaste also included flavoring to help improve breath, in addition to powdered charcoal and bark.
- The Chinese culture used a combination of herbs, water, salt, and flower petals.
- In India twigs containing sweet nectar were used.
- In the 1800s a powder containing soap and chalk was developed, followed by paste formula developed in the 1850s.
- By the turn of the century toothpaste packaged in the tube was invented and more than a century later remains the delivery method of choice.
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