Have you ever wondered who invented the toothbrush you use every day? No, seriously. Who came up with the idea of a mop for the teeth and who put bristles at one end of it?
Dental hygiene history is as interesting as any other history. Since the dawn of time, people used different tools to clean teeth after meals. From chew sticks to now electric toothbrushes, we have come a long way with respect to oral hygiene.
At first, humans used their index fingers as toothbrushes and some of us do that even now when we forget to bring our toothbrushes, say on a trip. However, the first toothbrush was invented by a Chinese emperor on 26th June?1498.?The bristles were actually the stiff, coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog's neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo.
And this is what followed,
1780?- The so-called first mass-produced toothbrush crafted in Clerkenwald, England by William Addis.
1857?- H.N. Wadsworth patents a toothbrush with the patent number of 18,653 in the US.
1885?- The mass production of toothbrushes starts in America.
1960?- One of the very first electric toothbrushes make a big wave in the American market. This is marketed under the name Broxodent by the Squibb firm.
At present, both electric and manual toothbrushes come in several sizes and shapes and these are commonly designed with nylon bristles and plastic molded handles.?
But that's not the only thing you don't know about toothbrushes. Here are some more:
How was that for some toothbrush wisdom?