Oral and Dental Hygiene practices refer to both preventive and therapeutic care that has evolved through critical thinking and evidence-based decision making for many years. Access to all types of oral health management treatments today is easy, less painful and also very reliable. But what was the plight thousands of years ago when the medical profession was looked down and people cared little about how their smile looked or mouth smelled?

Here is a gist of some fascinating facts that sing the historical evolution of oral and dental hygiene.

The arrival of the toothbrush

The glory of inventing the lookalikes of a toothbrush belongs to the Egyptians.  In was sometime during the 3500 B.C. when the Egyptians first used twigs and frayed tree barks to clean their teeth. However, 500 years later it was the Chinese who inculcated sufficient thought into improvising the look and the function of this tooth cleaning machine. They used bamboo sticks and body hair of animals like wild boar and horses to clean their teeth. The first toothbrush with nylon bristles came to existence much later and was designed by Dr. West.

The Romans and the Egyptians played pioneers in various facets of dental health

Archaeological findings reveal that the Romans and Egyptians have been active in researching and writing about the dental health concerns. Little does it surprise us that Hippocrates, a Greek physician also called the Father of medicine, was instrumental in determining several intriguing facts about dental hygiene. The Romans where the first to report the anti-bacterial effects of ammonia and how it can be used in conjunction with the toothbrush to get rid of plaque and bad odour. Even today ammonia is an ingredient found in most brands of toothpastes and mouthwashes.

What does your toothpaste contain?

Historical ancestors played around the idea of using toothpaste quite adventurously. From donkey’s milk to human urine, everything was experimented. The Persians used the ashes from a burnt goat, the Egyptians used rock salt and the British tried cleaning the teeth with nitric acid.  None of the these techniques proved to be correct and only ended up causing more damage to the enamel and the overall health of the individual.

Dental health during the 18^th century

With little advancements here and there, the science of dental health struggled to earn a position even during the 19^th century. There were no formal dental practitioners or no stabilized equipment that could be used solely for the purpose of dental care. Barbers and blacksmiths performed tooth extractions. Misconstrued forms of forceps and dental key often caused irreversible damage and excruciating pain to the patients.

Dental Hygiene takes a better shape finally

The 1900s can be regarded as the golden era for the growth of dental and oral hygiene. The first dental school was opened, electric toothbrushes were introduced, cast fillings and crowns were invented and the practices of operative dentistry and children oral care stabilised. With a steady growth along the different tangents of oral and dental healthcare, the field today caters to all specific needs of patients effectively.