https://www.pitara.com/tags/toothpaste-origins/Recent content in Toothpaste Origins on Pitara Kids NetworkHugoen-usSat, 13 Jun 2026 21:46:31 +0530https://www.pitara.com/science-for-kids/5ws-and-h/what-toothpaste-did-the-ancients-use/Mon, 24 Dec 2001 02:12:59 +0000https://www.pitara.com/science-for-kids/5ws-and-h/what-toothpaste-did-the-ancients-use/<p>One of my earliest childhood memories of Delhi is seeing morning walkers, milkmen, or shopkeepers chewing away at the neem stick, much like a cow chewing the cud. It seemed strange that they should go to all that effort when readymade toothpaste was available.</p> <figure class="image-medium has-caption"> <a href="https://www.pitara.com/media/neem-twig.jpg" aria-label="Link to larger image"> <img src="https://www.pitara.com/media/neem-twig_hu_dcab4da5c8b6e099.jpg" srcset="https://www.pitara.com/media/neem-twig_hu_5655eb26145bbc8.jpg 320w, https://www.pitara.com/media/neem-twig_hu_dcab4da5c8b6e099.jpg 900w" sizes="(min-width: 900px) 900px, 320px" alt="Neem (Azadirachta indic a) twig still used as toothbrush in many parts of India" height="460" width="900" loading="lazy"> </a> <figcaption>Neem (Azadirachta indic a) twig still used as toothbrush in many parts of India</figcaption> </figure> <p>The world was divided into four kinds of people: those who used toothpaste and brush, and they were the elite; those who used tooth powder for which the index finger doubled as the brush; people who used indigenous &ldquo;monkey-brand&rdquo; tooth powders and lastly, those who used neem sticks which were two-in-one.</p>