When you consider just how far in home teeth whitening products that we take for granted now, have advanced from their rather humble beginnings, it can make you very  gratefulfor what you do not have to put into your mouth simply to get a bright white smile. Even though it may appear that way, we have not always had products such as brushed on bleaching gels, whitening toothpastes or whitening strips available. Before the oral healthcare market place grew into the leading industry that it is today, getting that elusive smile was not always such an easy task.

Without the invention of the toothbrush, in home teeth whitening would not be where it is now. Early teeth cleaning implements, from hundreds of years ago, bore very little resemblance to what we refer to as a toothbrush these days. The first one was fashioned out of a twig with a chafed end to scrape the tooth. Everyone from royalty to peasants all used a bit of yard debris as a way to rid their mouth and teeth of excess food and buildup. This crude form of toothbrush eventually evolved into something similar to the implement we use now. Instead of a chafed sprig, a piece of shaped wood with boar bristles attached to one end, became the in thing to brush your pearly whites with. Nothing beats the taste of a mouthful of pig whisker first thing in the morning.

Needing to have whiter teeth is not anything new and has always been fashionable. The early barber, who used to double up as the local dental practitioner, would literally file the surface of the tooth down and then apply a solution of Nitric Acid. This process would certainly be effectual at giving blinding white teeth, but it also came with a high price tag. The combination of filing and acid would destroy the enamel protective covering resulting in rapid decay and the eventual loss of the teeth.

Consider that refreshing minty taste of your toothpaste. Most whitening toothpastes nowadays include sodium bicarbonate as an active ingredient and it is still popular practice among some people to brush their teeth with neat baking soda straight out of the box. However, If you do not fancy the taste sensation of sodium bicarbonate in your mouth, you may be better off staying with toothpaste. Back in the 1800’s, that may not have been such good advice because urine was a common component in toothpaste at that time.

The best home teeth whitening system starts with proper tooth care. You do need to brush every day and floss regularly. Frequent check-ups at the dentist can help keep your teeth healthy and your gums in good shape. You do not need to brush your teeth with pure bleach. You might also want to skip tobacco products, red wine and beverages such as tea, coffee or soda. All of those cause discoloration of the enamel over time. If whiter teeth seem too much trouble, then consider how far people had to go in years gone by to have sparkling white teeth.