Toothpaste: A History of Oral Hygiene
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the history of oral hygiene, revealing that despite lacking modern tools, prehistoric humans enjoyed better dental health. The shift to agriculture led to increased tooth decay, and early dental care is traced back to ancient civilizations. Innovations like toothpaste and toothbrushes evolved over centuries, with the addition of fluoride in the 20th century significantly impacting dental health. Despite advancements, oral diseases remain prevalent, underscoring the importance of brushing and flossing regularly.
Takeaways
- 😁 72% of Americans report brushing their teeth at least twice a day.
- 🌍 A global study shows 53% of people in 15 different countries brush twice daily.
- 💰 The global toothpaste market was valued at nearly 18 billion dollars in 2019.
- 🦷 Hunter-gatherers had better oral health than modern humans due to a different diet and lifestyle.
- 🌱 The Neolithic Revolution led to an increase in gum disease and cavities due to dietary changes.
- 🔬 A 2013 study in Nature Genetics links changes in oral microbiota to the shift from hunting-gathering to farming.
- 📜 The first known written mention of oral hygiene dates back over five thousand years to Syrian cuneiform medical texts.
- 🪥 Toothbrushes likely originated from chewing sticks used in Babylonia around 3500 BC.
- 🌿 Ancient toothpaste recipes included ingredients like rock salt, mint, and dried Iris flower.
- 🏺 The Chinese have long used salt water, tea, or wine to gargle and prevent tooth decay.
- 🏥 Modern toothpaste formulations have evolved to include fluoride and other ingredients to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities.
Q & A
What percentage of Americans brush their teeth at least twice a day according to Delta Dental's survey?
-According to Delta Dental's survey, 72 percent of Americans brush their teeth at least twice a day.
What was the global toothpaste market valued at in 2019?
-The global toothpaste market was valued at nearly 18 billion dollars annually in 2019.
What significant shift in human lifestyle around 12,000 years ago had an impact on oral health?
-The Neolithic Revolution, where humans started developing systems for producing food rather than relying on hunting and gathering, led to a significant shift that impacted oral health.
How did the transition from hunter-gatherer to farming affect oral microbiota?
-The transition from hunter-gatherer to farming shifted the oral microbial community to a disease-associated configuration, leading to an increase in gum disease and cavities.
What is the importance of understanding the oral microbiome according to Alan Cooper?
-Alan Cooper suggests that understanding the oral microbiome is as important as brushing and flossing for maintaining oral health.
What is the earliest known written mention of oral hygiene practices?
-The earliest known written mention of oral hygiene practices dates back more than five thousand years in Syrian cuneiform medical texts.
Which ancient civilization used a paste to clean their teeth around 5000 BC?
-The Egyptians used a paste to clean their teeth around 5000 BC.
What are the key ingredients in the oldest known toothpaste formula from Egypt?
-The oldest known toothpaste formula from Egypt includes rock salt, mint, dried Iris flower, and pepper.
What was the precursor to the modern toothbrush called?
-The precursor to the modern toothbrush was called the chew stick.
When were the first toothbrushes likely made and where?
-The earliest examples of toothbrushes were likely made in China during the Tang Dynasty between 618 and 907 A.D.
What significant change occurred in toothpaste formulation in 1945?
-In 1945, soap was removed from toothpaste and replaced with different ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulfate to create an emulsified paste.
When was fluoride first introduced in toothpaste and why?
-Fluoride was first introduced in toothpaste in the 1950s after research suggested it strengthened tooth enamel.
Outlines
😁 Oral Health Trends and Ancient Practices
The paragraph discusses the findings of Delta Dental's annual survey on oral health, revealing that 72% of Americans brush their teeth at least twice daily. It also mentions a global study indicating a 53% brushing rate twice daily across 15 countries. The global toothpaste market was valued at $18 billion in 2019. The narrative then delves into the history of oral hygiene, highlighting that despite the absence of modern dental products, prehistoric humans had better teeth. The shift to agriculture around 12,000 years ago led to an increase in gum disease and cavities due to changes in the oral microbiota. Ancient civilizations like Egypt and China had early forms of toothpaste and cleaning methods, with the oldest known toothpaste recipe dating back to 5000 BC in Egypt.
🌿 Evolution of Toothpaste and Early Dental Hygiene
This section explores the evolution of toothpaste and early dental hygiene practices. It mentions the use of ash, barley, salt, and honey in Roman times for toothpaste, and the Chinese practice of gargling with salt water, tea, or wine to prevent tooth decay. The嚼 stick, an early toothbrush precursor, originated in Babylonia around 3500 BC. The toothbrush as we know it today likely originated in China during the Tang Dynasty, and the concept spread to the West via merchants and monks. The paragraph also discusses the introduction of toothpaste in tubes, with Dr. Lucius Sheffield's son bringing the idea from Paris, leading to the widespread use of collapsible tubes for toothpaste.
🏭 Toothpaste Innovations and Packaging Revolutions
The paragraph details the innovations in toothpaste formulation and packaging. It discusses the shift from soap to sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste for better emulsification. The addition of fluoride in the 1950s, based on research suggesting it strengthens tooth enamel, is highlighted. The paragraph also covers the transition from metal tubes to aluminum and plastic due to WWII metal shortages. The invention of Dr. Levi Speer's dental floss in 1815 and its evolution to nylon-based floss during WWII are also mentioned. The paragraph concludes with the introduction of wax-coated floss in the 1940s and flavored flosses in the 1950s.
📈 Modern Oral Health Care and Its Challenges
This paragraph discusses the current state of oral health care, noting the variety of toothbrushes and toothpastes available, including those for whitening, sensitivity reduction, tartar control, and plaque prevention. It also mentions the trend towards natural or organic toothpastes. Despite advancements, the CDC reports that a significant portion of American adults have untreated tooth decay, and the WHO estimates that oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people worldwide. Dentists recommend brushing for at least two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once a day. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to support the 'History Guy' channel.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Oral Health
💡Toothpaste
💡Neolithic Revolution
💡Oral Microbiome
💡Toothbrush
💡Dental Floss
💡Dental Plaque
💡Fluoride
💡Tooth Decay
💡Gum Disease
💡Oral Hygiene
Highlights
72% of Americans report brushing their teeth at least twice a day.
53% of people in 15 countries surveyed brush their teeth twice a day.
Global toothpaste market valued at nearly 18 billion dollars annually in 2019.
Hunter-gatherers had better teeth than modern humans due to different diets and lifestyles.
Neolithic Revolution led to a shift in oral microbiota, increasing gum disease and cavities.
Ancient humans used various methods for oral hygiene, including chew sticks and toothpicks.
Egyptians used a paste to clean their teeth around 5000 BC, predating the toothbrush.
Ancient toothpaste recipes included ingredients like rock salt, mint, and dried Iris flower.
Roman naturalist Pliny's toothpaste recipe included abrasive ingredients like ash and bone.
Chinese records from 94 BC mention the use of salt water, tea, or wine to prevent tooth decay.
Toothbrushes likely originated from chewing sticks used in Babylonia around 3500 BC.
The first written mention of oral hygiene dates back over 5000 years in Syrian cuneiform texts.
Modern toothbrushes with nylon bristles were introduced in 1938 by DuPont.
Dental floss was invented by New Orleans dentist Dr. Levi Speer in 1815 using wax and silk thread.
Fluoride was added to toothpaste in the 1950s to strengthen tooth enamel.
Pepsodent's advertising campaigns in the early 1900s helped create a national toothbrushing habit.
Despite advances in oral hygiene products, many people still suffer from untreated tooth decay and gum disease.
Dentists recommend brushing for at least two minutes twice a day and flossing daily for optimal oral health.
Transcripts
foreign
Delta Dental which is Association of
dental insurance companies does an
annual survey regarding the state of
America's oral health and wellness and
according to the latest survey some 72
percent of Americans say that they brush
their teeth at least twice a day that
habit isn't just limited to Americans a
study last year of some fifteen thousand
people in 15 different countries
determined that 53 percent said that
they brushed their teeth twice a day all
that tooth brushing leading to a global
toothpaste Market that fortune business
insights valued at nearly 18 billion
dollars annually in 2019.
but the products that we use today for
our oral health are relatively new
inventions whereas teeth are as old as
well Humanity itself and the development
of these products that affected the
morning routines of billions of people
worldwide deserves to be remembered
Alan Cooper director of the Australian
Center for ancient DNA told St Louis
Public Radio in 2013 that
hunter-gatherers had really good teeth
this might seem to be a surprise as NPR
notes prehistoric humans didn't have
toothbrushes they didn't have floss or
toothpaste and they certainly didn't
have Listerine yet somehow their mouths
were a lot healthier than ours are today
but around 12 000 years ago there was a
significant shift in the way people
lived in what has been called the
Neolithic Revolution humans started
developing systems for producing food
rather than relying on hunting and
Gathering and people started Living in
agricultural communities that would
eventually grow into cities and
civilizations
this change had huge impacts on human
society and culture and one surprising
effect was on our teeth Cooper notes as
soon as you get to forming populations
you see this massive change huge amounts
of gum disease and Cavities start
cropping up
the reason a 2013 study in the journal
Nature genetics argues has to do with
bacteria the study entitled sequencing
ancient calcified Dental plaque shows
changes in oral microbiota with dietary
shifts of the Neolithic and Industrial
revolutions determined that data from 34
early European skeletons indicate that
the transition from hunter-gatherer to
farming shifted the oral microbial
Community to a disease-associated
configuration
put simply as the human diet change
suddenly tooth decay became an issue NPR
explains that the researchers found that
as prehistoric humans transition from
hunting and Gathering to farming certain
types of disease-causing bacteria that
were particularly efficient at using
carbohydrates started to win out over
other types of friendly bacteria in
human mouths adding that the addition of
processed flour and sugar during the
Industrial Revolution only made matters
worse
while the findings have relevance to
oral health today with Cooper arguing
that understanding the mouse microbiome
is as important as brushing and flossing
when implications that oral hygiene only
became an issue at the time that people
started settling in communities a point
that some see is part of the dividing
line between history and prehistory that
is the need for brushing and flossing is
not as old as Humanity but is as old as
human history
and early civilizations recognized the
problem
the website of the syndic Museum of the
University of Michigan School of
Dentistry notes that the first known
written mention of oral hygiene they
expect more than five thousand years
when a Syrian cuneiform medical texts
mentioned teeth cleaning procedures
toothpicks dating back to this time have
been found in other sites in Mesopotamia
if you were wondering what came first
toothpaste or the toothbrush the website
of toothpaste manufacturer Colgate
argues that Egyptians used a paste to
clean their teeth around 5000 BC even
before toothbrushes were invented
the website realm of History writes that
the world's oldest known formula for a
toothpaste unsurprisingly comes from
Egypt to that end a Papyrus dating from
Circa 4th Century A.D contains the
recipe for what has been described by
the ancient scribe as powder for white
and perfect teeth that transformed into
a clean toothpaste the website explains
that the recipe calls for one drachma of
rock salt one drachma of mint and one
drachma of the dried Iris flower all
mixed with around 20 grains of pepper
according to the document the
composition should form a pace-like
consistency when in contact with the
saliva of the mouth
the website goes on to say that the
formula was tested by modern dentists
and the results noted at a dental
conference in 2003 Austrian dentist Dr
Heinz Newman reported there that nobody
in the dental profession had any idea
that such an advanced toothpaste formula
of this Antiquity existed I believe that
this recipe would have been a big
Improvement on some of the soap
toothpastes used much later ancient
toothpaste mixtures could be both more
exotic and especially in the case of
Greeks and Romans more abrasive writing
in the 1947 edition of the Journal of
history of medicine and Allied Sciences
physician and medical historian tgh
Drake listed the recipe of first century
Roman naturalist Pliny the ash of a
mixture of barley salt and honey fig
tree ashes powder or Ash of Hearts horn
bone Ash mixed with myrrh ashes of
hair's head with or without the ash of
mice and rat's heads Ash of ankle bones
of goats and other four-footed domestic
beasts or calcined eggshell to make the
teeth look white and the breath smell
sweet
a 2014 edition of the South China
Morning Post notes that from the
earliest times the Chinese knew that
gargling with salt water tea or wine
after meals helped prevent tooth decay
because the antiseptic properties of
these liquids
records of the grand historian completed
around 94 BC recounts an episode of a
doctor tending to a patient suffering
from tooth decay and one of the reasons
given for the ailment was that he did
not gargle after eating
it isn't clear when tooth powders were
first introduced in China but the
morning post notes that they were being
sold in chops by the song period around
a thousand A.D the post writes that
toothpastes were made by adding water to
various ingredients and boiling the
concoction until it was reduced to a
paste the post list the ingredients of a
1390 recipe for tooth powder soap Bean
ginger bug Bane Chinese Fox Glove false
Daisy seed pod of the Japanese pagoda
tree while gender Lotus leaves and rock
salt
while these early versions of toothpaste
might have been applied by finger or
with cloth they were also applied using
the precursor to the modern toothbrush
the chew stick
in the 2013 book Dental biotribology
professor of prosthodontics of the West
China school of Sichuan University
writes that the toothbrush seems to have
had its Origins and the chewing sticks
of Babylonia as early as 3500 BC
ancient Greek and Roman literature
discussed the use of toothpicks which
are used to keep the mouth clean
over the years the toothpick evolved
into a chew stick which was the size of
a pencil
records from China around 1600 BC show
that one end was chewed until it became
brush-like while the other end was
pointed and used as a toothpick
despite their ancient Origins chew
sticks are still used in many parts of
the world today
sciencealert.com explains that many
people in the Middle East and some parts
of South and Southeast Asia use Twigs
from the Eric tree to clean their teeth
an article in a 2009 edition of the
internet Journal of family practice
notes that these plants are very
carefully selected for such properties
as foaminess hardiness or bitterness and
certain species are more popular than
others a great number of these plant
species have related medical properties
that may be antibacterial
science alert notes that the wood of the
Ark tree has a high concentration of
fluoride and other antimicrobial
components that prevent tooth decay
the article in the internet Journal of
family practice notes that several
studies have demonstrated that the
plaque removing properties of two sticks
and conventional toothbrushes are
similar and in fact chew sticks may be
superior to Conventional toothbrushes in
some respects however other studies
suggest that chew sticks can abrade the
gums and contribute to gum recession
but brush is similar to what we use
today are older than you might think the
national museum of American History
notes that the earliest examples were
likely made in China during the Tang
Dynasty between 618 and 907 A.D they can
still be seen at institutions like the
Shanghai Museum
in time thanks in large part to
itinerant merchants and monks news of
this Asian technology arrived in the
West
the museum notes that there are mentions
of little brushes for making clean of
the teeth being used in France at least
from the 17th century
however Pierre fouchard considered by
many to be the father of modern
dentistry known for his 1728 work the
surgeon dentist considered to be the
first Comprehensive Dental textbook
prefer the use of a sponge rather than a
brush you're good that those that use
little brushes to whiten and clean the
teeth use them without knowing that
these materials are too rough and their
frequent usage practiced
indiscriminately destroys the gums and
the teeth
this conclusion should not be surprising
as Dental powders at the time often
included highly abrasive materials such
as brick porcelain pumic Stone calcine
to talcan calcite aluminum
these tools for oral hygiene many with
ancient Roots develop slowly for example
in the 18th century abrasive powders
were so commonly used for cleaning teeth
with one 1780 recipe using burnt toast
the website of Crest toothpaste notes
that it wasn't until 1824 that a dentist
named Peabody began adding soap to
toothpaste to ensure cleanliness it's
from here that we can note specifically
when toothpaste was invented to keep
Mouse fresh and clean
there is dispute over exactly when
toothpaste started to be produced in
more modern forms the website of New
England Dental Associates credits an
American Dental Surgeon named Washington
Whitworth Sheffield who in the 1850s
created a ready-made tooth cream which
included mint extracts for flavor for
use on his patients as The Story Goes Dr
Sheffield's patients would request
samples of his tooth cream so frequently
that they began Mass producing his
product
in 1873 the Colgate company started
selling aromatic toothpaste in jars
Dr Sheffield was credited with another
Innovation as well the website Beauty
packaging notes that in 1841 American
Artist John golf Rand invented a pliable
metal tube to effectively hold paint
dear doctor.com explains that
Sheffield's son Dr Lucius Sheffield
visited Paris where he saw artists using
rand's collapsible metal tubes for their
paints and inks in 1892 when they
returned home from his visit he shared
the idea with his father
a new mechanism for packaging his
father's own brand of toothpaste creme
identifies the newly packaged product
became a big success and was much more
hygienic in 1896 dear doctor continues
Colgate began packaging toothpaste in a
tube and for the last 100 plus years
patients worldwide have benefited from a
tremendous election of collapsible tube
toothpaste products sold every day
tubes were originally made of tin or
lead but Beauty packaging notes a metal
shortage caused by World War II putting
into tubes made of tin in lead and
packaging producers moved to aluminum
and plastic
the aluminum was still included because
packaging news explains by the 1950s
manufacturers were making plastic tubes
for suntan lotion but this type of
polyethylene tube reacted with
toothpaste ingredients thus Beauty
packaging writes most toothpaste tubes
have been made from sheets of plastic
laminate which is usually a combination
of various Plastics surrounded by a thin
layer of aluminum that works to protect
the taste and formula of the product
inside
another change came in 1945 when Dental
Associates of New England rights soap
was finally removed from toothpaste and
replaced with different ingredients such
as sodium lauryl sulfate to create an
emulsified paste
another Innovation was the addition of
fluoride which research on water supply
suggested strengthened tooth enamel the
national inventors Hall of Fame writes
that researchers Joseph Mueller and
William nebergal tested fluoride
compounds to determine which was the
most effective hardening and protective
agent for tooth enamel
in the 1950s the Hall of Fame writes the
team introduced a formulation containing
stannous fluoride shortly thereafter the
product was licensed to Procter and
Gamble and Stannis fluoride toothpaste
was introduced in Limited Test markets
in 1955.
in 1956 Procter Gamble introduced Crest
toothpaste and by the late 1970s the
Hall of Fame writes a steep Nationwide
declining cavities was attributed in
part to the widespread use of fluoride
toothpaste today all toothpastes with
the Ada seal of acceptance must contain
fluoride
curiously these developments did not
necessarily convince Americans to
concern themselves with oral hygiene
writing on the website medium in 2013
author laylit Vias notes that at the
turn of the century despite the nation's
dental problems just seven percent of
Americans brush their teeth
as a result bias rights there was an
army of door-to-door salesmen Hawking
dubious tooth powders and elixirs most
of them going broke
the national habit of brushing our teeth
was the result bias notes of the
legendary admin Claude C Hopkins
approached by a friend who wanted to
sell a toothpaste called pepsodent
Hopkins famous for using psychology to
sell focused on a trigger of tooth film
telling consumers just run your tongue
across your teeth and you'll feel the
film and that's what makes your teeth
look off color and invites Decay note
how many pretty teeth are seen
everywhere millions are using a new
method of teeth cleansing why would any
woman have dingy film on her teeth
pepsident removes that film
while two film is actually quite natural
and has nothing to do with dingy teeth
Hopkins connection between pepsident and
Beauty was a natural trigger writing his
book The Power of Habit Arthur Charles
dewig notes that Hopkins greatest
contribution would be helping to create
a national toothbrushing habit before
pepcidin almost no Americans brush their
teeth a decade after Hopkins advertising
campaigns pollsters found that tooth
brushing had become a daily ritual more
than half the population
well the formulation of toothpaste
developed over the 19th century
toothbrushes hardly changed for example
the first U.S patent for a toothbrush by
hm Wadsworth in 1857 separated the
bristles more than the common brush but
was still made using Bohr's hair
the Cavendish Vermont Historical Society
notes that mass production of
toothbrushes didn't occur in the United
States until 1885. the society notes
that toothbrushes were not issued to
Civil War soldiers and were expensive
and thus without a toothbrush they would
have used whatever was handy Rags salt a
finger leaves and probably a chewing
stick
that is Civil War soldiers were taking
care of their teeth in much the same way
that soldiers did in ancient Rome
the Library of Congress notes said boar
bristles were used until 1938 when nylon
Brussels were introduced by the DuPont
company the first nylon toothbrush was
called Dr West's Miracle toothbrush
while the use of objects like toothpicks
to clean between teeth dates back to
ancient times dental floss is a
relatively new invention a 1999 edition
of the Journal of the history of
Dentistry credits the invention of
dental floss to New Orleans dentist Dr
Levi Speer in 1815. he used a wax and
silk thread and extolled the importance
of flossing in his 1819 work a practical
Guide to the management of teeth
the website of Oral B explains that the
idea caught on and in 1882 a company
called the Codman and shirtless company
based in Randolph Massachusetts began
marketing an unwax silk dental floss
this is followed in 1896 by the first
dental floss from Johnson and Johnson
the new jersey-based J and J took out a
patent for dental floss in 1898 that was
made from the same silk material used by
doctors for silk stitches
the website ABC science describes how
the product has developed since
during the second world war Dr Charles C
bass a medical doctor realized that
nylon would have advantages over silk as
a flossing material nylon could be
produced in Great Lengths which all had
a consistent diameter could be supplied
in different sizes and had greater
resistance to abrading and shredding
than silk
wax coated dental floss was introduced
in the 1940s and dental floss in the
shape of a tape rather than the thread
was introduced in the 1950s this was
followed by flavored flosses such as
mint and cinnamon and more recently
various suprasynthetics such as Gore-Tex
and Teflon are being incorporated into
dental floss
by 1996 Americans purchased over 4.3
million kilometers of dental floss per
year
oral health care products have continued
to develop heck all you have to do is
look at the aisle in your local grocery
store to see the number of different
kinds of toothbrush and toothpastes that
are available today you can buy
toothpaste that do things like whiten
your teeth or reduce Dental sensitivity
or remove tartar or prevent the
development of plaque for 12 hour
periods as well as a more recent Trend
towards more natural or organic
toothpastes that use fewer things like
chemical stabilizers or perfumes or
flavors
still despite the advances in technology
the U.S Centers for Disease Control
noted last year that nearly one in four
American adults have untreated tooth
decay and 46 show signs of gum disease a
2022 World Health Organization reports
notes that it is estimated that oral
disease is affect nearly 3.5 billion
people the report concludes oral
diseases well largely preventable pose a
major health burden for many countries
and affect people throughout their
lifetime causing pain discomfort
disfigurement and even death
dentists today recommend that you should
brush for at least two minutes twice a
day with a fluoride toothpaste and New
York dentist Lana Rosenberg told Yahoo
Health that it's very important that you
brush in the morning to get rid of
bacteria and in the evening after a full
day of eating drinking and accumulating
plaque and in addition the American
Dental Association recommends that you
floss at least once a day
I hope you enjoyed watching this episode
of the history guy and if you did please
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