How was the toothbrush invented?

Toothbrushes I was surprised just recently when we were at a Smithsonian special 17th century Jamestown and Colonial Maryland exhibit "Bones", regarding how long ago they had toothbrushes--way before I ever expected them. They were very concerned with dental care in the 1600's, as they were starting to realize that dental disease could be deadly if oral infection spread to other parts of the body. They didn't do a good job at getting rid of plaque, however, which leads to tooth decay and gum disease.

Extraction was generally the only solution then IF they didn't die... And they wanted whiter teeth, too--nothing's changed, has it? Recipes of the time for tooth whitening and cleaning were acidic and abrasive, which tended to rub the enamel off the teeth, which then allowed decay to enter. Salt and vinegar were used as abrasives, and other things like tobacco ashes, which were rubbed onto teeth with a cloth.Eeeeuuuuuu...... We also were at Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, where you can see George Washington's actual toothbrush (yes, and those famous dentures that were lead, not wood!) and it looks remarkably like what we use now.

Very surprising to me. I had to research in regards to how the brush came to be, though. I know that they used to use sticks and twigs with the ends all fuzzy--it's hard to say who actually invented that.

But Wiki says that "the first toothbrush to resemble the modern toothbrush is believed to have been invented in China in the late 1400s, which used the stiff hairs from a hog's neck, attached to a bamboo stick. " The Library of Congress tells me this: The toothbrush as we know it today was not invented until 1938. However, early forms of the toothbrush have been in existence since 3000 BC.

Ancient civilizations used a "chew stick," which was a thin twig with a frayed end. These 'chew sticks' were rubbed against the teeth. The bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today, was not invented until 1498 in China.

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. Boar bristles were used until 1938, when nylon bristles were introduced by Dupont de Nemours. The first nylon toothbrush was called Doctor West's Miracle Toothbrush.

Later, Americans were influenced by the disciplined hygiene habits of soldiers from World War II. They became increasingly concerned with the practice of good oral hygiene and quickly adopted the nylon toothbrush. Some other interesting toothbrush facts: The first mass-produced toothbrush was made by William Addis of Clerkenwald, England, around 1780.

The first American to patent a toothbrush was H.N. Wadsworth, (patent number 18,653,) on Nov. 7, 1857. Mass production of toothbrushes began in America around 1885. One of the first electric toothbrushes to hit the American market was in 1960. It was marketed by the Squibb company under the name Broxodent.

Poppet *Poppet*'s Recommendations Philips Sonicare Essence 5300 Power Toothbrush Amazon List Price: $79.99 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 222 reviews) The modern version....

1 By a caveman who noticed that his teeth were fuzzy, and the cavewomen backed away from him (as they did from all the other cavemen). He found a bush that had fuzzy-bristled stems, tried dipping them in water, and voila! He was also the first caveman to marry.

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1 By a caveman who noticed that his teeth were fuzzy, and the cavewomen backed away from him (as they did from all the other cavemen). He found a bush that had fuzzy-bristled stems, tried dipping them in water, and voila! He was also the first caveman to marry.

By a caveman who noticed that his teeth were fuzzy, and the cavewomen backed away from him (as they did from all the other cavemen). He found a bush that had fuzzy-bristled stems, tried dipping them in water, and voila! He was also the first caveman to marry.

2 It was invented in Mississippi by an Ernest Tubb fan while cleaning himself up to go to a concert. Had it been invented in any other state, it would have been called a "Teethbrush. " .

It was invented in Mississippi by an Ernest Tubb fan while cleaning himself up to go to a concert. Had it been invented in any other state, it would have been called a "Teethbrush.

3 There probably wasn't a strict invention moment. Early brushes were just bundles of stems tied together (you can find pictures on the internet), so it may have started with a single twig as a scraper, then a small handful, then a bundle tied together. The right-angle head and finer bristles were big improvements, but not full blown inventions.

There probably wasn't a strict invention moment. Early brushes were just bundles of stems tied together (you can find pictures on the internet), so it may have started with a single twig as a scraper, then a small handful, then a bundle tied together. The right-angle head and finer bristles were big improvements, but not full blown inventions.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.