History of the Toothbrush

Ever wonder how people used to clean their teeth? We can’t even imagine what it would be like without our sonicares, so we’ve decided to give you a fun history lesson in the development of the toothbrush.

Early civilization got quite creative when it came to cleaning their teeth. The Babylonians and Egyptians used twigs with frayed edges as a form of the toothbrush as early as 3500-3000 B.C. Later on, the Chinese were credited with creating the toothbrush that is somewhat similar to what we recognize today by using the bristles from a pig’s neck attached to a bone or bamboo handle. In some regions of the world, including the Islamic world, people used twigs that came from the Salvadora persica tree that contained some pharmaceutical properties.

A more modern designed toothbrush originated in England around 1780 when William Addis (in prison at the time), carved a handle out of cattle bone and used swine bristles as the brush. He began selling his model of the toothbrush in London after his release.

With the invention of nylon, DuPont chemical company helped create what we know as the toothbrush today in 1938. Nylon allowed the toothbrush to be manufactured quickly and cheaply and the material decreased the amount of bacteria that lived on the brush itself. However, it didn’t become a popular habit in the U.S. until soldiers from WWII brought the habit back with them after the war. Then, in 1945, the electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland.

And finally, in 2003 the toothbrush was declared the number 1 invention people could not live without and we couldn’t agree more! From ancient times to modern times, the function of the toothbrush has remained the same and we continue to value the benefits we get from brushing our teeth.

We want you to remember to always brush and floss your teeth daily, and to keep up with regular dental exams and cleanings. For that extra deep cleaning, schedule your appointment with your friends at Shoreline Dental Studio at: https://www.shorelinedentalstudio.com/appointment/.