Learn a little more about this oral hygiene aid by reading about its history below.
Who invented the first toothbrush?
The Babylonians and Egyptians of 3,500 B.C. were the first to create a toothbrush. Theirs was a chewing stick, a twig with a frayed end you chewed on to clean your teeth. This type of toothbrush was used all over the world for thousands of years.
When were bristles first put on a toothbrush?
The Chinese people living in the 15th century were the first to create a toothbrush that had bristles on it. They used bone and bamboo for the handle and pig hair for the bristles.
What other bristle materials were used throughout time?
Pig hair bristles were used by many, thought the 15th century Europeans also tried goose feathers, horse hair, and even porcupine quills for their toothbrushes. It wasn’t until 1938 that we stopped using animal hair bristles because the U.S. DuPont labs created nylon toothbrush bristles.
When was the toothbrush first mass-produced for the public?
This occurred in the 1780’s thanks to an English inmate named William Addis. He was horrified by the oral hygiene methods they offered in his prison (consisting of a rag, soot, and salt), so he created a toothbrush that closely matches our modern one in design. After his release from prison, he mass-produced this toothbrush to the public.