Innovation No. 7 of 77 in the book
Toothpaste
A cleaning paste made from ash, salt, and herbs
- When
- c. 1550 BCE
- Dynasty
- 18th Dynasty
- Era
- New Kingdom
Egyptians were mixing tooth-cleaning and whitening powders by the New Kingdom, around 1550 BCE.
The fullest surviving written recipe is much later — a 4th-century CE papyrus in the Austrian National Library in Vienna — but it describes a practice that was already ancient by then.
The instructions: grind rock salt, mint, dried iris flower and pepper into a powder and rub it on the teeth. It even promises ‘clean, white teeth.’
When a modern dentist mixed and tried it, the paste worked — though the iris made his gums bleed. Iris root does in fact fight gum disease; the recipe was ahead of its evidence.
Toothpaste — minty and whitening, sold as such — was already on the Nile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the earliest archaeological evidence for toothpaste in ancient Egypt?
The earliest confirmed evidence dates to approximately 1550 BCE during Egypt's New Kingdom (18th Dynasty). Egyptians were mixing tooth-cleaning and whitening powders by the New Kingdom, around 1550 BCE.
How did ancient Egyptians develop toothpaste, and what is its legacy?
The fullest surviving written recipe is much later — a 4th-century CE papyrus in the Austrian National Library in Vienna — but it describes a practice that was already ancient by then. The fullest surviving written recipe is much later — a 4th-century CE papyrus in the Austrian National Library in Vienna — but it describes a practice that was already ancient by then. Toothpaste — minty and whitening, sold as such — was already on the Nile.