HOW TOOTHPASTE IS MADE
Toothpaste can prevent tooth decay and leaves your mouth feeling fresh. But do we really need it?
WORDS
FRANCES DANIELS
The different colours of striped toothpaste are made in separate batches
While dentists recommend using toothpaste twice daily, it’s not actually needed to remove plaque or clean teeth, as toothbrush bristles already cover that. However, toothpaste does provide huge benefits, including fresher breath and cavity-fighting fluoride. Toothpaste has been around for over 7,000 years, but it didn’t always resemble today’s minty mixture. Instead, the ancient Egyptians used burnt eggshells and hoof ashes, and the ancient Greeks and Romans upgraded their toothpaste with crushed bones and shells. The Chinese were using ginseng to clean teeth in 500 BCE, but it wasn’t until the 1800s that toothpaste started containing the abrasive ingredients we use today, such as chalk and charcoal.