Science and technology doubtless brought up lots of benefits to society. The inventions of chemical products for example made our living easier. Who has not taken some detergent to laundry their clothes? Who has not brushed their hands with liquid soap? Who has not seen useful the usage of shampoo, salt, alcohol, pills and other chemical products? . Apparently, the chemical assistance makes life seen easier. As you could sense today’s article is nexed with the topic: "Chemical Product (human made or naturally produced) that affects the environment positively or negatively. In order to continue, I am excited to write about the up and down of toothpaste into society.

Have you ever wondered how ancient people used to brush their teeth? And Who did invent  and use the first toothpaste? My grand-mother for example, one day told me she used to have problems to come across with a random toothpaste because of the remoteness place where she used to live and, the lack of it, surely. To solve this difficulty, she gathered her ancestral  knowledge, to find a way of brushing her teeth. Thus, one of them was chewing fruits such as Tecomate, or scientifically known as Crescentia cujete, to maintain  her teeth cleaned and out of tartar. Likewise, happened years and years ago. For instance, it is said that the  oldest-known formula for toothpaste was created by Egyptians. They crushed rock salt, mint, dried iris flowers and pepper and mixed them together to create a cleaning powder.[1] On the other hand, it has been searched that “1780 People were known to scrub their teeth with a powder that was made up of mainly burnt bread”[2]. Can you imagine? The breads you eat every morning one day were a formula of hygiene.  Already in 1824 a dentist named Peabody added soap to toothpaste for added cleanliness. Soap was later replaced by sodium lauryn sulfate to create a smooth paste[3]. After significant investigations, already in 1914, it was added Fluoride due to it was discovered that previous toothpaste caused dental cavities. That way, toothpaste was evolving through time and on the way new chemical sources were added to guarantee our welfare. Therefore, in our days we don’t  struggle to brush our teeth because  there is a vast tools and, even from different brands.

On the other hand, after knowing the background on toothpaste let us learn how beneficial this item is now. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), toothpaste is important to oral health because it helps to remove plaque and its bacterial buildup on teeth and fights off periodontal (gum) disease.[4]  Due to, the ingredients according to the specific formula of each toothpaste. For example, one of the key component of this product is Fluoride, it is added in all kind of them and for sure it is beneficial for people of every age. “The fluoride in the toothpaste heals and remineralizes microscopic cavities as they form, it hardens the tooth surface, making it more resistant to the acid attack of bacteria, and slows down the action of these acid-producing bacteria.”[5] Therefore, the usage of toothpaste assures your teeth will be strong and  more resistant to decay

 However, does this chemical product have an impact on our environment? One of the components of toothpaste is sodium pyrophosphate also. The issue is that contains phosphorus, however. Phosphorus is responsible for the increasing of algal in waterways. When they are decomposing, they take away oxygen from the water, creating a huge dead zone where no marine animals or bacteria can live in.  The fact is that whereas people increase the hours of  brushing their teeth,  also increase the water pollution  because more chemical like this is spitted down the drains, leaking into rivers, lakes, ocean downstream. Furthermore,

“there is a germ-killing chemical contained in toothpaste called Triclosan, and as it is released into the water from the drain, it has been building up in the ocean web, which is known to disrupt the hormones and growth and development of marine animals and bacteria”.[6] Therefore, if we want to cut down water pollution, we must regulate our time spending on the tap.

As a conclusion, toothpaste is good for our well-being, however we must take care of how much we use this chemical product because reaching excess in the usage and more time on the tap, damage our environment.