A Brief Look at Toothpaste

It was the year 1873 when toothpaste began to be mass-produced. Tubed toothpaste was made in 1892 by Washington Sheffield in Connecticut. The first toothpaste in a tube was 'Dr. Sheffield's Dentrifice.' He got this idea when his son was on a trip to Paris and witnessed painters using tubes of paints.

By the beginning of the 20^th century, toothpastes made of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide emerged. Tooth powders remained in use until the First World War. Charcoal was a famous teeth cleaning material.

In 1914, fluoride was added to toothpaste. It was opposed by the ADA (American Dental Association) in 1937. The ADA granted approval for fluoride toothpastes in the 1950s. The first brand so approved was P & G's Crest in 1955.

Toothpastes come in different flavors and colorings. The popular flavorings are some mint variations (peppermint, spearmint, regular mint, etc.). There are other exotic flavors like apricot, anise, cinnamon, neem, fennel, vanilla, ginger, pine, orange, and lemon. There are also flavors of iced tea, whisky and peanut butter. Unflavored toothpastes are also available but most are sweetened and flavored. Since sugar promotes tooth decay caused by bacterial growth, artificial sweeteners are used.

Scotch whiskey and bourbon flavored toothpastes came up in 1954 in Ohio and they contained alcohol. They were made by Don Poynter. Poynter became famous as the novel toothpaste became a best-selling item.

Neiman-Marcus of Dallas, TX makes Chablis, champagne, Irish crème, peppermint schnapps, and burgundy flavored toothpastes.

For those who love chocolates, Italy's Regione Piemonte has a Hazelnut Chocolate Toothpaste. It comes with eight chocolates and a toothbrush. While this sounds appetizing, it is doubtful whether cavities will be prevented by brushing with chocolates.

Japan's Breath Palette promises to introduce flavor into your life and has many exotic flavors. These are green tea, tropical pineapple, honey, monkey banana, café au lait, kiwi fruit, vanilla, plum, strawberry, Indo curry, white peach, California orange, lemon tea, Darjeeling tea, blueberry, bitter chocolate, L'Espresso, caramel, pumpkin pudding, grapefruit, fresh yogurt, cola, sweet salt, lavender, Kyoto style tea, Fuji apple, grape and Japanese plum. It seems today's toothpastes are not as bad in taste as those used by our forefathers.

Modern toothpastes are usually safe. But they are not made to be swallowed or ingested. Fluoride content in toothpaste in large doses is toxic and may cause a condition called fluorosis in children. Fluorosis is characterized by brown and black stains and cracks in the teeth. This occurs generally during the ages of four months to nine years.

This is the reason why children are advised to stay away from fluoride-based toothpaste except when under close adult supervision. There are many non-fluoride toothpastes available. Natural toothpaste may contain myrrh, peppermint oil, strawberry or plant extracts, cleansing agents and special oils.

Sources:
http://www.merodent.com/index.html

http://worldonetrading.com/history.htm