Here’s a history of the toothbrush so brief that you’ll be able to finish reading by the time you’re done brushing your teeth. Let’s go!
3500 B.C.
The Babylonians were one of the first to integrate a toothbrush into their hygiene routines. While not exactly efficient, the chewing twigs they used were the most advanced brushes of their time. Twigs were picked from fragrant friendly trees that were sturdy enough to clean the mouth and fresh enough to give the mouth a nice smell. One side of the twig was chewed while the other was used to pick out food that got stuck between teeth.
15-16th Century
Fast forward a few thousand years and we have the fist toothbrush, kind of. Circa 15-16th century the Chinese created a brush out of animal bone, bamboo, and hog hair. As you can imagine, the bristles were extremely hard.
1780
If was in 1780 that the toothbrush became standardized and became available for sale to the masses. The creator was an English inmate by the name of William Addis. During his time in prison he created the first brush by drilling small holes in cattle bones which he then tied with swine fibers, before passing them through holes and gluing them to the brush. The brush was later fine-tuned after his prison release.
1939
Seemingly way ahead of its time, the first electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland. Many of us consider the electric toothbrush to be a rather new invention but in fact it’s almost a century old.
1940s
If was around this time that brushing teeth in the United States become popular among the masses. Word has it that the soldiers of WWII acquired the habit while fighting the war, took their hygienic habit home with them and spread it to their families.
The orthodontists at The Super Dentists are proud to continue the long-standing profession of dentistry. Pop into either Eastlake, Chula Vista, Carmel Valley, Oceanside, or Kearney Mesa to get your teeth examined by some of the best orthodontists in the industry.
