THE FIRST TOOTHBRUSH IN THE WORLD

1780. William Addis of England invented the first mass-produced toothbrush. While in prison, he made small holes in the bone of cattle, tied pig fibers (from wild boars) into bunches, passed them through the holes and then glued them

The toothbrush as we know it today was not invented until 1938. However, the earliest forms of toothbrushes have been in existence since 3000 BC. Ancient civilizations used a "chewing stick", which was a thin twig with a friable end. These 'chewing sticks' were rubbed with the teeth. The bristled toothbrush, similar to the type used today, was not invented in China until 1498. The bristles were actually 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 impressed by the disciplined hygiene habits of World War II soldiers. They became more concerned with practicing good oral hygiene and quickly adopted nylon toothbrushes.