The toothbrush is a tool used to clean the teeth, gums, and tongue.
Before the toothbrush, people used an assortment of implements to keep their teeth clean. Ancient civilizations cleaned their teeth by rubbing twigs or pieces of wood against them. Chewing sticks, birds' feathers and porcupine quills have also been discovered in the excavated remains of the earliest bathrooms.
In medieval Europe few brushed their teeth, and those who did generally used horse hairs. It was customary after meals to use a silver or copper toothpick, or else a goose feather.
The first bristle toothbrushes, resembling the modern toothbrush, were made in China during the Tang Dynasty (619–907). Spines were plucked from the neck of a Siberian wild boar and set into a bone handle.
Toothbrushes were introduced to Europe through merchants and travelers in East Asia during the 17th century. French dentists were the first Europeans to promote their use.
The earliest identified use of the word toothbrush in English was in the autobiography of Anthony Wood who wrote in 1690 that he had bought a toothbrush from J. Barret.
Europeans found the hog bristle toothbrushes imported from China too firm and preferred softer bristle toothbrushes made from horsehair.
Mid-18th century colonial Americans used to brush their teeth by rubbing soot and salt over them with a rag.
An English rag trader, William Addis, produced the first mass produced toothbrush in 1780. After being sent to prison in 1770 for inciting riots, Addis decided that the way people were brushing their teeth could be improved. He saved a small animal bone from a meal that he had eaten the previous night, made a hole and tied through it some bristles that he'd obtained from a guard.
After his release, Addis set up a business to mass-produce toothbrushes and became very wealthy. His company, Wisdom Toothbrushes, still exists.
Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles on February 24, 1938. They proved sturdier and more efficient than bristles of natural origin – generally wild boar bristles. They were introduced on the US market under the name “Doctor West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush."
Squibb Pharmaceutical introduced America's first electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, at the centennial of the American Dental Association in 1959. The original electric toothbrush had been developed 20 years earlier in Switzerland.
Dentists recommend that toothbrushes be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
The little rubber thingy at the end of a toothbrush is called a "stimulator tip."
The most popular toothbrush color is blue.
Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, forgot her toothbrush and had to brush her teeth with her finger.
Of the 6.8 billion people on the earth, only 3.5 billion of them use a toothbrush.
Over 1 billion toothbrushes are discarded in the US each year, which is enough to circle the globe four times.
HISTORY
Before the toothbrush, people used an assortment of implements to keep their teeth clean. Ancient civilizations cleaned their teeth by rubbing twigs or pieces of wood against them. Chewing sticks, birds' feathers and porcupine quills have also been discovered in the excavated remains of the earliest bathrooms.
In medieval Europe few brushed their teeth, and those who did generally used horse hairs. It was customary after meals to use a silver or copper toothpick, or else a goose feather.
The first bristle toothbrushes, resembling the modern toothbrush, were made in China during the Tang Dynasty (619–907). Spines were plucked from the neck of a Siberian wild boar and set into a bone handle.
Toothbrushes were introduced to Europe through merchants and travelers in East Asia during the 17th century. French dentists were the first Europeans to promote their use.
The earliest identified use of the word toothbrush in English was in the autobiography of Anthony Wood who wrote in 1690 that he had bought a toothbrush from J. Barret.
Europeans found the hog bristle toothbrushes imported from China too firm and preferred softer bristle toothbrushes made from horsehair.
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| A horsehair toothbrush said to have been used by Napoleon By Science Museum London |
Mid-18th century colonial Americans used to brush their teeth by rubbing soot and salt over them with a rag.
An English rag trader, William Addis, produced the first mass produced toothbrush in 1780. After being sent to prison in 1770 for inciting riots, Addis decided that the way people were brushing their teeth could be improved. He saved a small animal bone from a meal that he had eaten the previous night, made a hole and tied through it some bristles that he'd obtained from a guard.
After his release, Addis set up a business to mass-produce toothbrushes and became very wealthy. His company, Wisdom Toothbrushes, still exists.
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| Source of picture http://madeupinbritain.uk/Toothbrush |
Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles on February 24, 1938. They proved sturdier and more efficient than bristles of natural origin – generally wild boar bristles. They were introduced on the US market under the name “Doctor West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush."
Squibb Pharmaceutical introduced America's first electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, at the centennial of the American Dental Association in 1959. The original electric toothbrush had been developed 20 years earlier in Switzerland.
FUN TOOTHBRUSH FACTS
Dentists recommend that toothbrushes be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
The little rubber thingy at the end of a toothbrush is called a "stimulator tip."
The most popular toothbrush color is blue.
Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, forgot her toothbrush and had to brush her teeth with her finger.
Of the 6.8 billion people on the earth, only 3.5 billion of them use a toothbrush.
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| Pixiebay |
Over 1 billion toothbrushes are discarded in the US each year, which is enough to circle the globe four times.
Thanks for taking the time to share this excellent post on the history of the different toothbrushes. I enjoyed the details that you provided in this article. Have a great rest of your day and keep up the wonderful work.
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