People have been whitening their teeth for not only hundreds but thousands of years. We can trace the history of teeth whitening as far back as 3000BC when recorded history tells us that  people were using what were called,  “chew sticks”, to clean and most assuredly, even whiten their teeth. Chew sticks were made out of branches. One end of the branch was frayed and used to rub on their teeth to polish and clean off food particles. 

We know that Egyptians used toothpaste around 2000 BC. It is recorded that they made toothpaste of powdered pumice stone and wine vinegar. And, of course, it was brushed on with - you guessed it- a chew stick! 

Seems that the Romans were also into toothpaste a few hundred years later but they added a twist to the formula. First-century Romans used toothpaste containing human urine since they figured out that the ammonia in urine cleans and, yes, folks, whitens teeth! 

Initially, the Dentist used teeth whitening formulas for cleaning of dentures. Gradually these formulas became known for general teeth whitening purposes. In the earlier days lime chloride was used for teeth whitening purposes. Nowadays, many chemicals and formulas are used for teeth whitening. Peroxide is one such agent used for teeth widening and is probably the most common one used for both professional teeth whitening done by the dentists and for home purposes in which home based whitening is done by applying whitening agents on the teeth. Hydrogen peroxide has been safely used in teeth whitening for over 100 years and is known as an effective ingredient by the dental community. 

The Truman Method: Dr. James Truman (1864) introduced the first successful method of bleaching discolored teeth. His method consists substantially of liberating chlorine form chlorinated lime by the addition of a weak solution of acetic, tartaric, or oxalic acid. Dr. Truman has suggested several ways by which the chlorinated lime and the acid may be brought together. “One process is to saturate the entire canal and the pulp chamber with the acid before inserting the chlorinated lime: another is to dip the instrument in the weak solution of acid, and then in the lime, and pack it rapidly into the cavity; and still another is to make a paste by the used of distilled water, and pack this into the tooth and then apply a stronger acid solution by means of cotton wrapped around the point used.” 

Another method of bleaching teeth with chlorine is that invented by Dr. Wright, of Richmond Virginia. This method consisted of forcing a continuous stream of chlorine gas-previously prepared in the laboratory-into the pulp-canal and cavity of the tooth by an elaborate apparatus made especially for the purpose. The method was very efficient and rapid in its action, but the complications of the apparatus and the trouble of preparing the gas were obstacles which prevented its general adoption, and it was therefore abandoned. 

Today, there are a variety of methods for whitening your teeth without damaging the enamel. People now achieve bright smiles even though they smoke cigarettes and imbibe teeth staining drinks like coffee and red wine as daily beverages.