Teeth Whitening Through the Ages

The concept of whitening teeth probably began around 4,000 years ago with the ancient Egyptians who were known for their beautification techniques. Similar to a slight paunch on a man during the early 1900s was thought to convey affluence, the whiter one’s teeth in ancient Egypt, the wealthier one was thought to be. They used a paste of wine vinegar and ground pumice and brushed it on with frayed twigs.

A few thousand years later, the Romans came up an interesting twist that did indeed work—albeit it the method would likely make you want to go back in time and live with the ancient Egyptians. The Romans brushed their teeth with urine. Yep, pee pee. Urine has a high concentration of ammonia, which is a powerful cleaning ancient. Who in ancient Rome discovered the technique is a mystery and akin to the first person who looked at a raw oyster and thought, “Mmmmmm, this looks delicious.”

Then in the days of cowboys, cattle drives and stage coaches, dentistry became the domain of the town barber. There weren’t many dental remedies at the time, so barbers fixed most issues by pulling problem teeth. They also whitened teeth by filing them and applying nitric acid. The method worked remarkably well, at least temporarily. It also was quite painful and severely damaged tooth enamel, which, more times than not, lead quickly to tooth decay and periodontal disease.

In the 1980s, dentists stumbled upon a new technique. They noticed that the hydrogen peroxide used to treat gums also whitened teeth. Trays and gels specifically for teeth whitening quickly followed the discovery, and a few years later, laser whitening entered the picture. The rest, as they say, is history.

For information about the Ferber Dental Group, dental implants, dentures or periodontal concerns, call 561-439-8888 or visit www.ferberdental.com.