It is a fact that oral hygiene was of apex priority in the society as early as 5000 BC. Scientists discovered that the world’s oldest known formula for toothpaste was invented by Egyptians in 4 AD. The Egyptians crushed rock salt, mint, dried iris flowers and pepper and then mixed them together to create a cleaning powder.

In the year 1780, people used to scrub their teeth with a powder that consisted mainly of burnt bread. Then by 1824, Peabody, a dentist added soap to toothpaste for added cleanliness. Later, soap also got replaced by sodium lauryn sulfate to make a smooth paste. Colgate launched its first commercially produced toothpaste in 1873 and sold it in a jar. Dr. Washington Sheffield is the first person to keep toothpaste in a collapsible tube in 1892. The property of Flouride that it reduces dental cavities led to its addition in toothpaste in 1914. Herbal toothpastes like Tom’s came into market and became an alternative to clean teeth without fluoride in 1975. Such toothpaste had peppermint oil, myrrh and plant extracts.

Edible toothpastes were invented by NASA in 1987. The year 1989 brought the first toothpaste invented by Rembrandt that claimed to whiten and brighten teeth.

By: Bhavna Sharma

Content: https://www.speareducation.com/spear-review/2012/11/a-brief-history-of-toothpaste