It is known from historical sources that the old Egypt men used certain means for cleaning teeth still several thousand years before our time. They used the mixture from ash of heel of ass, myrtle, broken shells from eggs and pumice. The powder on teeth was put on digits and they were used to clean, the teeth brush was not known in this time. 

The old Greek and Roman used this way to clean of teeth, even if the consist of teeth powder was changed during time.

By falling of Roman Empire fell also hygiene? About 1000 the teeth powder was appeared in Persia, Christ Europe followed the Roman tradition only at the end of 18 century. In England it was possible to give it in ceramics bowls but not only as powder but as paste yet: like an instrument was used a digit in a common way all time, the richest only used the brush.

These clearing means were developing by doctors, dentists and chemists. They often consisted of reagents grazing teeth or being harmful other way: brig powder, porcelain and ceramics powder. These means consisted glycerine to be pleasanter. Later there borax was added not to foam the powder or the paste.

Washington Wentworth Sheffield
(picture from web page http://www.sheffield-labs.com/HISTORY.html)

23 years old American dentist Washington Wentworth Sheffield produced the first toothpaste similar to us in 1850. His toothpaste was delivered in a glass. In this time his son Lucius Tracy Sheffield studied in Paris. He is said to see their painters using colours in tubes and he thought out that his fathers toothpaste could be send in tubes too. It also happened: in 1892 Sheffield’s company was found and the toothpaste in a tube is on the world. This idea was proved and the British firm Beechams copied it in this year and started to sell Beechams toothpaste in tubes. In 1873 they introduced their aromatic toothpaste Colgate and in 1896 they fulfilled their Colgate Dental Cream in tubes.

Sheffield's toothpaste from the begining of the century
(picture from web page http://www.sheffield-labs.com/HISTORY.html)

There were putting in most of pastes soap as emulsion reagent till the Second World War even if it had some important shortages.After the war the soap was changed with other reagents. Producers of pastes went on developing and they increased the pastes effect. The good effect of florid was discovered (higher resistant against the tooth decay). Today’s toothpastes consist more effective reagents and provide the perfect protection of the teeth and the oral cavity.

The traditional Czech toothpaste
(picture from web page http://www.setuza.cz/toISO2/o_spolecnosti/soucasnost.asp)