Squeeze

“Effort is like toothpaste. You can always squeeze out just a little bit more.” (Saucony)

Faced with dozens of different products promising to make your teeth fresher, whiter, and cavity-free, it’s no wonder you wander aimlessly down the toothpaste aisle deciding what to choose. Toothpaste is designed for removing leftover food and plaque from your teeth with the assistance of a toothbrush (manual or electric).So that you can understand all that toothpaste contributes to our modern-day lifestyle, I’ll provide with more fascinating information about this product than you thought you ever thought you wanted to know:

·        In 1824, all toothpastes were in powder form. Dr. Peabody (a dentist) came up with the idea of adding soap to the toothpaste to increase the cleaning power.

·        In 1850s, chalk was added to toothpastes by several manufacturers. That’s when toothpastes took the cream form from powder form.

·        In 1914 for the first time in history of toothpastes, fluoride was added. Fluoride prevents decay of tooth and strengthens teeth.

·        In 1987, edible toothpastes were first made in U.S. for the astronauts. These toothpastes are still available and used for kids. Kids don’t rinse their mouth properly after brushing, and edible toothpastes are best for them.

·        Rembrandt was the first company to offer teeth whitening toothpaste in 1989. Many other companies followed later.

·        Romans made toothpastes out of urine, oyster shells, crushed bones, and other abrasive material. The reason why the Romans used urine was the ammonia content which was a good cleanser.

·        The detergent used in toothpastes has two functions. First, it helps to dissolve stains from teeth. Second, it also helps in foaming.

·        The first herbal and commercially produced toothpaste came out in 1975. Tom’s of Maine was one of the earliest known herbal toothpastes of 20th century. Tom’s of Maine and other herbal toothpastes were alternatives to fluoride-based toothpastes.

·        The first toothpastes originated in India, Egypt, and China around 5000 BCE (Before the Common Era).

·        Today, toothpastes are known to have formaldehyde. It is a chemical that is used for preserving dead bodies. Formaldehyde kills bacteria that come in contact with the tube of toothpaste.

·        Toothpaste recipes back in those days were pretty strange. The Egyptians used mint, pepper, iris flower (dried), and crushed rock salt. Some Egyptians used to add something more into the mixture of burnt egg shells and ashes of burnt ox hooves were pretty common ingredients.

·        When you squeeze a toothpaste tube, it comes out consistently on the brush. This consistency is achieved by adding seaweed to toothpastes.

Though toothpaste can keep your smile in great shape, but it’s also has many other uses. See below for the many other incredible uses of toothpaste:

 

1.     Baby Bottle Deodorizer

2.     Buff Auto Scratches

3.     Carpet Cleaner

4.     Cell Phone Screen Protector

5.     Clean a Dirty Horse Bit

6.     Clean a Keyboard

7.     Clean Outdoor Plastic Furniture

8.     Clean Refrigerator Seals

9.     Clean Up Messy Hair Dye

10.                        Clean Up Straighteners

11.                        Clean Watch Scratches

12.                        Clear Up Coffee Rings

13.                        Crayon Mark Eliminator

14.                        Defog a Mirror

15.                        DVD and CD Cleaner

16.                        Get Rid of Beach Tar

17.                        Give Diamonds Their Luster

18.                        Goggle Defogger

19.                        Hair Product

20.                        Headlight Polisher

21.                        Iron Cleaner

22.                        Keep Bows in Hair

23.                        Last-Ditch Patching Fix

24.                        Leather Repair

25.                        Liven Up Car Interior

26.                        Make Bruises Disappear Quicker

27.                        Make the Shower Sparkle

28.                        Mark Nail or Screw Placement

29.                        Nail Polisher Remover

30.                        Pest Control

31.                        Polish Chrome

32.                        Poster Adhesive

33.                        Reduce Skin Irritation

34.                        Remove Brake Dust

35.                        Remove Gum from Hair

36.                        Remove Ink from Fabric

37.                        Remove Permanent Marker

38.                        Remove Stinky Smells

39.                        Restore Your Jewelry

40.                        Revamp Tupperware

41.                        Scrub Out Scuff Marks

42.                        Shine up Die-Cast Models

43.                        Shine Up Sneakers

44.                        Sink Cleaner

45.                        Skin Cream

46.                        Skunk Deodorizer

47.                        Soothe Burns

48.                        Stain Remover

49.                        Treat Poison Ivy Stings

50.                        Whiten Piano Keys

 “The family: we are a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo…borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms . . . and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.” (Erma Bombeck) [i]

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[i] Sources used:

·     “20 Interesting and Fun Toothpaste Facts You Should Know “ by Sankalan Baidya

·        by Sankalan Baidya July 1, 2016

·        “50 Things You Never Knew You Could Do With Toothpaste” by Nick Gerhardt

·        “8 Things You Didn’t Know About Toothpaste” by Allen Dental

·     “Common Era” from Wikipedia