Almost everyone would like to address some aesthetic defect in their smile, and the people who lived in previous centuries were no different. Historians and archaeologists have unearthed evidence of a wide variety of teeth whitening techniques used by ancient people, and some of these methods were much safer, more effective, or more pleasant to think about than others. Here’s a brief guide to how people tried to brighten their smiles in previous centuries and how far cosmetic dentistry has come.