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.

Getting a whiter, brighter smile actually started with the toothbrush, except it was not in the form found in today’s market. It was a stick. It would be chewed at one end to fray it, and then brushed over the teeth. The first toothpaste was comprised of ground pumice stone and vinegar made with wine. Later, the Romans developed a paste that contained urine. Talk about having a dirty mouth! But the elements have real science to them. It is the ammonia that helped clean and whiten teeth.

Thank you modern medicine for eliminating the need for disgusting toothpastes. But what about making the teeth whiter? While most people recognize barber shops as places where men get their hair cut, it was once used as the local dentist. Individuals seeking a brighter, whiter smile would have the barber file their teeth and coat them with an acid. Whiteness would be the result, but ultimately the acid destroyed the enamel and the individual’s teeth would begin to rot. This is definitely a far cry from the whitening kits people store in their bathroom cabinets at home.

Many people elect to try to whiten their teeth at home with different varieties of a whitening gel. Most formulas contain a whitening agent, either bleach or baking soda, and work by applying a thin coat. The coating is left on for a set amount of time. The process is not immediate and may only lighten the teeth a few shades. For up to fourteen shades in whitening, a person would have to turn to a dental whitening regime, such as zoom whitening, at the dentist’s office.

People no longer have to contend with barbaric methods to gain a whiter smile. Toothpaste and toothbrushes have advanced far from their prototypes and instead of that ammonia aftertaste, you can now let the pleasant aroma and taste of cinnamon or mint flavor your paste. Whitening kits have come a long way from their early beginnings, and for the most part, you can count on them keeping your teeth and enamel in tact, all the while getting rid of tooth discoloration.

To learn more go to Berkeley Teeth Whitening and at Teeth Whitening Gel