“A clean tooth is a healthy tooth” is the advice given by most dentists to keep the teeth free of many oral problems. Good cleaning habits also help remove stains and restore the natural white color of teeth, which desired by everybody.

Across the world, a variety of abrasive agents have been used in toothpaste or toothpowders to clean teeth effectively. The Egyptians were the first one to use abrasive ingredients like rock salt, mint powder, dried iris powder and pepper to clean their teeth. Various other abrasive agents like Marble, chalk, ground carbon, ash, pumice, abrasive silica, bark, ground oyster shells, bone ash, alumina powders, oriental herb powder etc. were also used to clean teeth before the eighteenth century (Ref: Colgate (colgate.com); Thomas Connelly, Huffingtnpost.com)

Prior to the 1850s, tooth cleaning agents were usually available in the form of powders and people used their finger, as there were no bristled toothbrushes. Nylon based bristled toothbrushes began to be manufactured on a mass scale in1938 when Du-Pont introduced nylon bristles. During the 1850s, a new toothpaste called a Crème Dentifrice, which came in a jar, was developed. By1873,Colgate had started the mass production of toothpaste in jars, however, it was not until the1890s that it introduced toothpaste in a tube like its modern-day avatar.

It is rather surprising to note that the evolution of modern abrasive materials with good cleaning properties that were incorporated in toothpaste happened in nineteenth century after the year 1850.

In the second half of the twentieth century, modern toothpastes were developed with abrasive material like precipitated calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and precipitated silica to provide effective cleaning. This was further facilitated by toothbrush with nylon bristles. Toothpastes with very low abrasiveness were also developed to prevent the problems caused by vigorous brushing, which lead to sensitivity in teeth.

The most recent advances in toothpastes have included the development of whitening toothpastes, in which special abrasive agents like hard silica, alumina and pumice have been introduced, to remove the stains that are formed on the surface of the teeth.

During my research work, I found that it is a common belief that a higher level of abrasion means better cleaning. Therefore, the search for better abrasive materials continues. However, I did not find a direct correlation between abrasion and cleaning and I feel that this myth needs to be further explored. Dentists have often expressed their concern about the damage inflicted to the tooth enamel if abrasive materials are increased in toothpaste. Because of this, the American Dental Association has fixed a limit on the maximum amount of abrasives that can be used in a toothpaste.