Tooth whitening has been popular for some time. In fact, there is reason to believe that the practice of whitening our teeth even dates back to as far as 2000 BC when Ancient Egyptians would make a paste comprised of pumice stone and wine vinegar to whiten their smiles. Of course, things have come a long way since then, and today’s whitening treatments tend to be peroxide gels, ultraviolet light and toothpastes with carefully chosen ingredients.
An indicator of health
A potential reason behind our quest for a whiter smile is perhaps that from a biological point of view, white teeth are typically an indicator of good health. Although dental professionals will know this isn’t necessarily true, straight, white teeth suggest no problems and therefore indicate better overall health. In contrast, cracked, missing or decayed teeth send the opposite message – indicating to our primal instincts that a person with these features may have poorer general health.
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