Toothpaste

The earliest formula for toothpaste was given at the end of the 1st century A.D. by a Roman doctor, Scribonius largus. It consisted of a mixture of vinegar, honey, salt and ground glass!

Pliny the Elder recommended urine as a mouthwash, and this use of urine, particularly as treatment for dental caries, persisted until the 19th century. The explantion given was that urine, which was warm and acidic, neutralized the decaying action of the cold, damp secretions from the pituitary gland that flowed from the brain into the mouth.