The Development Of Toothbrush

Many ancient cultures around the world used to rub and brush their teeth with twigs or small pieces of wood. Another common method is to rub the teeth with baking soda or chalk. Brown toothbrushes appeared in India and Africa around 1600 BC.

According to the American Dental Association, Emperor Xiaozong of China in 1498 also had a stubby pig bristles inserted into a bony handle to make a toothbrush. The traditional way to clean teeth in the West, which has been around since at least Roman times, is to rub and brush the teeth with a piece of rag. Toothbrushes did not appear until the 17th century and were not widely popular until the 19th. In 1938, DuPont Chemical introduced toothbrushes with synthetic fibers (mostly nylon) instead of animal hair. The first toothbrush with nylon yarn as bristles was marketed on February 24 of that year.