Page 18 - GP Spring 2024

For the Love of Teeth: A Historical Look at Teeth Whitening

Author: Geri Robin, DMD, FAGD
Walk into any dental office, and what do They used a paste of ground pumice stone infected bleeding gums, they noticed they
you see? Comfortable dental chairs, soft and wine vinegar. The paste was brushed had brighter and whiter teeth.
head pillows, fragrant aromas, comfy blan- onto the teeth with chewed-up twigs. In
kets, top-of-the-line headphones, fashion- those days, the average life span was only Now, we have many different products and
able eyewear, and anything else that pro- 35 years, so hopefully, there wasn’t too concentrations of whitening products to
vides patients with a sense of security and much nerve damage from the pumice and fulfill the needs of our patients.
ease. A dental visit is no longer the cold, acidic vinegar before the transition into the
institutional setting it once was. heavens! Currently, bleaching/whitening is one of
the few procedures that patients look for-
Patients don’t come to us just because Around 2,000 years ago, Ancient Romans ward to having done. There are important
of tooth pain anymore. They desire to be also had some interesting ideas for tooth- points to ensure the bleaching experience is
beautiful. So, when did we become ob- paste. They used goat’s milk and stale successful.
sessed with beautifying our teeth? urine. Interestingly, urine contains ammo-
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nia, a bleaching agent that kills bacteria. Research has shown that the greatest suc-
Fun fact. The archaeological evidence that Not such a far-fetched idea. cess comes from a dual approach of in-of-
goes back more than 14,000 years ago fice AND home bleaching.
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shows that grinding, filling, and actual mu- Documentation has been found of this
tilation of teeth occurred. There’s also ev- when Ancient Roman bodies were discov- Another important point is that everyone
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idence of orthodontic treatment. Egyptians ered postmortem with traces of ammonia bleaches up differently. The yellow/orange/
used metal bands to move teeth, and wires in their teeth. Some of the ingredients brown shades are more easily bleached
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of gold and silver were used to replace the Greeks and Romans used consisted of than the stubborn blue/gray shades. We
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missing teeth. There is no need for cement burnt eggshells, powder of ox hooves, and can still get good results, but these shades
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with these primitive yet creative bridges. fresh herbs. demand diligence. Sometimes, it takes up
to three months of compliant weekly home
Many tribes from Indonesia, India, and Af- The ancients went to barbers to get haircuts, bleaching to get the desired results.
rica believed modifying teeth had magical heal toothaches, and bleach their teeth.
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powers. The filing of teeth had a role in The chosen method of whitening teeth was One’s lifestyle, including diet, plays a large
intimidation, protection, and sexual func- to file them down and apply nitric acid to part in maintaining bright white teeth. 17
tion. It’s hard to say what really went on in remove the stains. This method made just
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the bedroom, but it shows that this obses- as much sense as using leeches to cure dis-
sion was powerful! ease. Although nitric acid made teeth whit- There’s a flood of at-home bleaching prod-
er, the damaged enamel made teeth more ucts on the market. We know gel decom-
Toothbrushing has an interesting history susceptible to decay. poses quickly and loses its potency after a
as well. Egyptians had meticulously pre- short time, so if one bleaches longer than
served toothbrushes in tombs. They created As dentistry became a respected practice, the suggested wear time, they’re just suck-
twigs with frayed edges to apply the paste we were able to make more reasonable ing on a gel in a tray.
to clean stains and freshen breath. It seems attempts to whiten teeth and keep people
they wanted to look their best for the af- safe. Welcome hydrogen peroxide. We have learned much about the process.
terlife. 5
“Jean Harlow, an American cinematic ac- Seeing brighter teeth at their hygiene visit
Islam was the first global religion to place tress and leading sex symbol back in the motivates the patient to do more!
an emphasis on bodily hygiene. Prophet 1930s, became famous for her “silvery
Mohammad popularized the first tooth- locks” and bad girl image thanks to the References:
brush around the 7th Century, using a twig magic of hydrogen peroxide.” We discov- 1.https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-
from the Miswak tree. Fresh breath with- ered it works wonders on teeth as well. earth/13-000-year-old-fillings-prove-ancient-
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out a minty mouthwash! dentistry-was-brutal. Last accessed December
As early as 1884, peroxide was used to 2023.
Compared to the permanent deformation of whiten teeth. Although trench mouth was 2. Pinchi V, Barbieri P, Pradella F, Focardi M,
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Bartolini V, Norelli GA. Dental Ritual Muti-
teeth, we have come a long way by embrac- documented as early as the 4th century lations and Forensic Odontologist Practice: a
ing toothbrushes and toothpaste. B.C., the term “trench mouth” came into Review of the Literature. Acta Stomatol Croat.
use during World War I when soldiers in 2015 Mar;49(1):3-13. doi: 10.15644/asc49/1/1.
What about whitening? Were our ancestors battlefield trenches suffered from poor oral PMID: 27688380; PMCID: PMC4945341.
concerned about the color of their teeth? hygiene, intense psychological stress, and 3. Abraham CM. A brief historical perspective
Evidence shows they were. The Egyptians, poor diet, leading them to develop severe on dental implants, their surface coatings and
4,000 years ago, were obsessed with eternal infections of the gums. 14 treatments. Open Dent J. 2014 May 16;8:50-5.
life and beauty. They believed the Gods fa- 4.Koesbardati T et all. Cultural Dental Modi-
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vored humans with white teeth. 8 It has been noted that while the soldiers fication in Prehistoric Population in Indonesia.
were rinsing with peroxide to help their International Association for Paleodontolo-
gy, 2015.

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