Monday, September 22, 2008
Home Teeth Whitening Techniques - The Madness Of Dental History
Home teeth whitening products have become a major industry in today's oral healthcare market. If you consider how much money is spent on whitening chewing gum alone, then you are looking at an easy $17 million dollars for one brand. Now add in the whitening toothpastes, the whitening strips, the brushed on bleaching gels and you will quickly realize how huge an industry it has become. However, it was not always this way. Oral care had some rather humble beginnings that you may not know about. Knowing the past is a great way to truly appreciate our modern conveniences.
Oh, how wonderful it is to get up in the morning and brush your teeth. You should not take it for granted though. The first home teeth whitening step was considered to be just a good brushing of the teeth. Thankfully, you do not have to utilize what your ancestors had to use in order to brush, as they would have used a frayed twig. The twig became outdated when the first toothbrush was designed. It was made out of whittled wood and boar bristles.
Whiter teeth have always been fashionable. Early dentists, a.k.a the nearby barber, would file the tooth surface down before applying a solution of Nitric Acid. The blinding white teeth came with a steep price. This combination is devastating to enamel and the Dandy or Lady found themselves without teeth before long, due to decay. A tooth is only as good as the protection surrounding it.
Think about that fresh minty taste of your toothpaste. Most whitening toothpastes now contain baking soda. It is still a common practice to brush the teeth with baking soda straight out of the Arm & Hammer box. If you do not want that baking soda taste, then you may want to stick with toothpaste. At least the toothpaste no longer contains urine, a common ingredient in the 1800's!
Home teeth whitening begins with the toothbrush and goes from there. There are ways you can lessen the impact of daily wear by avoiding tobacco products, which are bad for your health anyway, and by chewing special gum after you have indulged in coffee or soda. On the bright side, you do not have to brush your teeth with a boar bristle toothbrush and you do not have to go to your Barber and be subjected to his tooth whitening system.
To learn more go to Maryland Teeth Whitening and at Silver Springs Teeth Whitening
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