Around 5000 BC, the Egyptians made a paste to clean their teeth. Later, the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Indians also started using toothpaste.
These ancient toothpastes were made by a concoction of different things in different parts of the world.
The powder of ox hooves’ ashes, burnt eggshells and pumice were some of them. The Chinese are said to have used various ingredients in their toothpastes, including ginseng, herbal mints, and salt.
Until the 1850s, toothpastes were basically powders. It was during the 1850s that real progress happened, when cream based toothpastes were manufactured and commercialized.
In the year 1873, Colgate started the mass production of toothpastes in jars (later tubes) all over the world.
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