Without the invention of the toothbrush, in home teeth whitening would not be where it is today. The first teeth cleaning implements, from hundreds of years ago, bore very little resemblance to what we refer to as a toothbrush nowadays. The first one was fashioned out of a twig with a chafed end to scrape the tooth. Everybody from royalty to peasants all used a piece of yard debris as a way to rid their mouth and teeth of excess food and buildup. This early form of toothbrush eventually evolved into something resembling the implement we use today. Instead of a frayed sprig, a piece of shaped wood with boar bristles attached to one end, became the in thing to brush your pearly whites with. Very little beats the taste of a mouthful of pig hair first thing in the morning.

The need to have whiter teeth is by no means the latest fashion fad since it has been around for numerous years. In times gone by, the local barbers shop would also be the place to go if you needed anything doing to your teeth. To give you the dazzling white teeth that you craved, the barber come tooth doctor would file the tooth surface down and then apply a Nitric Acid solution. While this procedure would certainly work in the short term, the teeth would begin decaying quickly because of the lack of enamel protection which would be destroyed by the procedure.

Consider that fresh minty taste sensation of your toothpaste. Most whitening toothpastes nowadays include bicarbonate of soda as an active ingredient. It is still a common practice to brush the teeth with baking soda straight out of the Arm & Hammer packet. If you do not want that baking soda taste, then you may want to stick with toothpaste. At any rate it no longer includes urine, which was a common ingredient in the 1800′s.

If it is said once, it will be said a hundred times over your lifetime. Home teeth whitening all starts out with following a proper oral hygiene routine. Keeping away from tobacco products, red wine and beverages like coffee and tea are also good ideas if your goal is to have pearly whites. Do not take for granted how easy it is for modern man to have whiter teeth. At least you do not have to brush with a toothbrush made of hog hair.

The first commercial teeth whitening system was a plastic cup designed to be molded to your teeth and a whitening gel that would fill the cup. You first had to boil the cup and then shape it specifically to your mouth. Each night at bedtime, you would fill the cup with the proper amount of gel and then you would sleep with the contraption in your mouth. The gel would do the work while you slept. Simply wake up and take the pieces out. Sounds really easy, right?

The actual problem, besides the hassle of molding the plastic pieces, is that the gel lost its effectiveness within an hour or two. The gel would also be swallowed during the night. Many people reported sore throats and increased gum sensitivity. Tooth whitening kits began to decline in sales because people became disillusioned with the safety of the product and the hassle of using it, just to get whiter teeth.

Scientists, after making the discovery that the primary ingredient in the gel lost its effectiveness after an hour, devised different kits that meant the user would wear them for a less amount of time. Today’s kits contain a higher concentration of the whitening agent used in tooth bleaching. Most kits are now strips that the user wears for a very short amount of time, either in the morning or the evening.

The 90′s are gone and the archaic tooth whitening kits that were prevalent at the time have also gone the way of big hair. People seeking whiter teeth do not have to spend a fortune and go through the incredible hassle of molding a plastic tray to their teeth. Toothpaste made specifically for teeth whitening has helped many people have a brighter smile. Crest Strips have become the popular method of whitening.

To learn more go to Teeth Whitening In Michigan and at Teeth Whitening In San Diego