Before the advent of toothpaste, humans employed a variety of substances and methods to clean their teeth.
These methods varied across different cultures and time periods, but some common materials included:
- Crushed Animal Bones, Hooves, and Shells: Early tooth powders often consisted of pulverized animal bones, ox hooves, and shells from eggs, snails, and oysters. These provided abrasive action to help remove plaque and debris.
- Charcoal: Crushed charcoal, the residue from burning wood or bones, was added for its abrasive and potentially whitening properties.
- Tree Bark: Powdered tree bark was used, offering both abrasive action and, in some cases, medicinal properties depending on the tree species.
- Herbs: Flavoring herbs were incorporated to improve taste and potentially provide additional benefits.
- Urine: The ancient Romans famously used urine, which contains ammonia, as a mouthwash and tooth cleaner. Ammonia has cleansing properties.
In short, before toothpaste, people used a range of materials like crushed bones, charcoal, tree bark, herbs, and even urine, to maintain their oral hygiene.
