Did you know that Teeth Whitening has been practiced for a good 4000 years?
It’s true! The Ancient Egyptians practiced teeth whitening by mixing ground pumice and white wine vinegar for a nasty tasting teeth whitener. The user would apply the mixture by chewing on a stick dipped into this mixture. Pumice, which is still used today as an abrasive substance, is a white igneous rock, meaning that it was formed by volcanic means.
The ancient Romans practiced a particularly disgusting teeth whitening procedure, in which human urine was used to whiten teeth. Incidentally, ammonia, which is found in urine from many species, is a chemical known to clean tooth enamel.
In the 1800s, barbers were the ones who whitened your teeth for you
Is there anything these guys can’t do? Originally, the white and red poles in front of barber shops meant that they would also whiten your teeth for you. In a particularly terrifying procedure, the barber would put a metal apparatus in your mouth and would wash out your mouth with an incredibly strong acid. Nitric acid, which is used in explosives, fertilizers, and dissolving certain metals, was used in this procedure, which is today a relatively benign and harmless procedure. Yes, the nitric acid would give your teeth a white gleam, over time, this practice would rot your teeth away.
In this century, we’ve come up with some very effective, yet still less disgusting or terrifying than the previous teeth whitening treatments
At first, you really could only go to the dentist for a thorough cleaning, and perhaps even get a whitening treatment which would last a good hour. However, at-home and on-the-go whitening treatments have become a popular solution when convenience and cost effectiveness come into consideration.
For example, if you need the convenience of an on-the-go whitener, check out some teeth whitening pens, such as the Extreme Whitener. If you need a drastic change in your smile, try out a teeth whitening gel. There are a host of different teeth whiteners out there, that don’t involve deadly acids or human urine! If you have any questions about the safety of a teeth whitener, or any in-depth questions about which is the best for you, then ask your dentist or healthcare provider.
