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History of Toothpaste Timeline
(c. 5000 BCE–Present)The history of toothpaste traces how civilizations developed increasingly effective products to clean teeth, freshen breath, and prevent decay. More Less
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Ancient and traditional dentifrices
Ziryab popularizes toothpaste in Islamic Spain
800
In the 9th century, the Iraqi musician and designer Ziryab invented a type of toothpaste and popularized it throughout Islamic Spain.
Image source: Ziryab
Burned bread toothpaste recipe
1700
An 18th-century American and British toothpaste recipe called for burned bread as an ingredient.
Image source: Toothpaste
Sosekiko advertised in Japan
1769
During Japan's Edo period, Hiraga Gennai's Hika rakuyo contained advertisements for Sosekiko, described as a toothpaste in a box.
Tooth powders enter general use in Britain
1800
Tooth powders intended for use with toothbrushes came into general use in Britain during the 19th century.
Home Encyclopedia recommends charcoal
1866
The 1866 Home Encyclopedia recommended pulverized charcoal and cautioned that many commercially marketed patented tooth powders did more harm than good.
Toothpaste commercialization
Toothpastes and powders spread generally
1800
Toothpastes or powders came into general use during the 19th century.
Pre-mixed toothpastes are marketed
1800
Pre-mixed toothpastes were first marketed in the 19th century, although tooth powder remained more popular until World War I.
Colgate begins mass production in jars
1873
In 1873, the Colgate company began mass production of aromatic toothpaste packaged in jars.
Image source: Colgate-Palmolive
Sheffield manufactures collapsible-tube toothpaste
1880
In 1880, Doctor Washington Sheffield of New London, Connecticut, manufactured toothpaste in a collapsible tube under the name Dr. Sheffield's Creme Dentifrice.
Colgate cream reaches collapsible tubes
1896
In York in 1896, Colgate-Palmolive Dental Cream was packaged in collapsible tubes modeled after Sheffield's packaging.
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Key Facts
- Ancient Egyptians used early tooth powders made from ingredients such as crushed minerals, ashes, and herbs as early as about 5000 BCE.
- Greeks and Romans refined tooth-cleaning mixtures, sometimes adding abrasive materials, honey, salt, or charcoal.
- By the Tang dynasty, people in China used tooth powders and brushes, contributing to the development of organized oral hygiene.
- Modern commercial toothpaste emerged in the nineteenth century; Colgate began mass-producing toothpaste in jars in 1873, followed by collapsible tubes in 1892.
- Fluoride became central to modern toothpaste after research linked it to reduced tooth decay, and fluoride toothpaste became widely adopted during the twentieth century.
Source
This History of Toothpaste timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.
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