Whitening kits had quite an illustrious beginning. Actually illustrious may not be the desired word. It may be more akin to "barbaric" or simply "disgusting." But without those humble, albeit creepy, beginnings, we would not have the teeth whitening products that now sit on supermarket and pharmacy shelves.

Getting a whiter, brighter smile actually started with the toothbrush, except it was not in the form found in today's market. It was a stick. It would be chewed at one end to fray it, and then brushed over the teeth. The first toothpaste was comprised of ground pumice stone and vinegar made with wine.

Later, the Romans developed a paste that contained urine. Talk about having a dirty mouth! But the elements have real science to them. It is the ammonia that helped clean and whiten teeth.

Thank you modern medicine for eliminating the need for disgusting toothpastes. But what about making the teeth whiter? While most people recognize barber shops as places where men get their hair cut, it was once used as the local dentist. Individuals seeking a brighter, whiter smile would have the barber file their teeth and coat them with an acid.

Whiteness would be the result, but ultimately the acid destroyed the enamel and the individual's teeth would begin to rot. This is definitely a far cry from the whitening kits people store in their bathroom cabinets at home.

Many people elect to try to whiten theirs at home with different varieties of a whitening gel. Most formulas contain a whitening agent, either bleach or baking soda, and work by applying a thin coat. The coating is left on for a set amount of time.

The process is not immediate and may only lighten them a few shades. For up to fourteen shades in whitening, a person would have to turn to a dental whitening regime, such as zoom whitening, at the dentist's office.

People no longer have to contend with barbaric methods to gain a whiter smile. Toothpaste and toothbrushes have advanced far from their prototypes and instead of that ammonia aftertaste, you can now let the pleasant aroma and taste of cinnamon or mint flavor your paste. Whitening kits have come a long way from their early beginnings, and for the most part, you can count on them keeping your teeth and enamel in tact, all the while getting rid of tooth discoloration.