Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a paste or gel called dentifrice that people use with a toothbrush to clean their teeth. It helps keep our mouths healthy by removing dental plaque and food particles. Toothpaste also fights bad breath, known as halitosis, and contains special ingredients like fluoride that help prevent tooth decay, or dental caries, and gum disease called gingivitis.

Different kinds of toothpaste work in different ways, and not all are the same in helping protect oral health. The big drop in tooth decay during the 1900s is largely thanks to people using toothpaste with fluoride. Toothpaste is safe to use on teeth, and most toothpastes are white, sometimes with colorful stripes or a green tint, and some are blue.

History

Since 5000 BCE, people have used special mixtures to clean their teeth. The ancient Egyptians made a tooth powder from ashes of ox hooves, pumice, eggshells, and myrrh. Later, the Greeks and Romans added crushed bones and oyster shells to their recipes. In the 9th century, a musician named Ziryab invented a toothpaste in Islamic Spain.

In the 1800s, many people used tooth powders made from chalk, brick, or salt. The Colgate company began making aromatic toothpaste in jars in 1873. By 1900, pastes with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda were recommended. The first toothpaste with disinfectants was called Kolynos. In 1908, Jenkins’ son introduced the first toothpaste tubes. Fluoride was added to toothpaste in the 1890s, and in 1955, Crest became the first fluoride toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association.

Usefulness

Toothpaste helps keep our teeth and gums healthy. Toothpaste with fluoride is good at stopping cavities. Brushing alone can remove plaque, but toothpaste with special ingredients helps prevent tooth and gum problems when used every day.

Ingredients

Toothpastes are made from several key ingredients, mainly abrasives, fluoride, and detergents. Abrasives help remove plaque and prevent gum disease. Common abrasives include particles of aluminum hydroxide, calcium carbonate, and silica. After the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, microbeads are no longer used in toothpaste in the US.

Fluoride is an important ingredient in toothpaste that helps prevent cavities. It is found in small amounts in plants, animals, and some natural water sources. Sodium fluoride is the most common source, but stannous fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate are also used. Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and protect against tooth decay. Different countries have different levels of fluoride in their toothpaste, but all effective levels help prevent cavities.

Toothpastes also contain surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate, which create foam and help spread the toothpaste evenly. Other ingredients include antibacterial agents and flavorants such as peppermint, spearmint, and wintergreen to make the toothpaste more pleasant to use. Additional components like remineralizing agents help strengthen tooth enamel and reduce sensitivity.

Main article: Fluoride therapy

Safety

Fluoride in toothpaste is safe for everyone, but it can be harmful if swallowed in large amounts. Young children should only use a small amount to stay safe. It’s important to watch kids while they brush to make sure they don’t swallow too much toothpaste.

Some toothpastes have ingredients like triclosan or polyethylene glycol, which scientists have looked at for possible side effects. Most toothpastes are safe to use, but it’s good to know if you have any sensitivities. For example, some people might feel irritation from certain ingredients and may want to try a different toothpaste.

Government regulation

In the United States, toothpaste is watched over by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It is called a cosmetic, except for things like fluoride, which are called drugs. Drugs must have science tests and approval from the FDA before they can be sold. Most cosmetic ingredients do not need approval, except for color additives. The FDA makes rules for labels and stops some ingredients from being used.

Striped toothpaste

Striped toothpaste was invented by Leonard Marraffino in 1955. It was first sold by Unilever under the Stripe brand in the early 1960s, and later by the Signal brand in Europe in 1965. The toothpaste has two colors that stay separate until you squeeze them out of the tube.

Later, Colgate-Palmolive made new ways to create stripes with different colors and mix them right inside the tube. This is different from layered toothpaste, which needs a more complicated tube design. The fun shape of toothpaste on a toothbrush is sometimes called a "nurdle".

Dispensing

Main article: Tube (container)

Toothpaste is usually put out from a tube that you can squeeze or a pump. In 1880, a doctor named Washington Sheffield from New London, CT made the first toothpaste in a tube. He called it Dr. Sheffield's Creme Dentifrice. He got the idea after watching painters in Paris use tubes for paint. Later, in 1896, Colgate-Palmolive started putting their toothpaste in tubes too. The very first tubes were made from lead.