Toothbrush

The toothbrush is an instrument used to clean the teeth and gums. A toothbrush consists of a head made of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle. It is often used together with toothpaste as part on one’s oral hygiene routine. Toothbrushes are available in different size and shapes and made from different bristle textures. The bristle are usally been made from synthetic fibers.

History of Toothbrush

Long before recorded history, mankind had used various device such as sticks, twigs, bird feathers, animal bones and shells for oral hygiene purposes. This has been evidenced by various archaeological findings done all over the world. The first toothbrush in  recorded in history was a twig made from the Arak tree with a frayed end called a chew stick, which was made in around 3000 BC.

Various forms of toothbrushes had been used by the different civilisations in history:
The Indians used the twigs of the neem tree to make toothbrushes.  Chew sticks made from miswak, the twigs of the Arak tree is commonly used by the Muslim world. Chew stickers were used by the Egyptians and Babylonians. Chinese monks were seen to be using brushes made of horse-tail hairs attached to an ox-bone handle to clean their teeth.

Bristle toothbrush was first used by the Chinese during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is believed that this is the origin of the modern toothbrush as the Chinese toothbrush was brought back from China to Europe by travellers.
Toothbrush was first mass-produced and marketed in 1780 by William Addis of England. The  toothbrush handle was made from small animal bone, drilled with small holes in it and bristles of boar or pig hair tied in tufts and the tufts are passed through the holes and glued on the bone. He died in 1808, and his eldest son, also called William took over the business. The company continues to this day, now called Wisdom Toothbrushes

In 1926, the first plastic hand toothbrushes were made using moulds created in the shape of brush handles and celluloid was poured in and cooled. Brusheds were filled with bristle mechanically instead of by hand. In 1938, nylon bristles made by DuPont replaces animal hairs.

In 1939, the first electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland, but it was not commercialised until late 1950s. Called the Broxodent, produced by Squibb Pharmaceutical and it was first intended to make brushing easier for patients with limited motor skills. Some years later in the early 1960s, General Electric introduced the first cordless rechargeable electric toothbrush. The first electric toothbrush was using the back and forth motion. Rotation brush heads did not appear until 1987.

Any that toothbrush you use must be effective in removing dental plaque which the cause of all dental problem.

Electric toothbrushes are not necessary more superior than the manual ones. However, they are found to have improve the oral hygiene of chidren with mental and physical disabilities and adults  patients who needs help with cleaning their teeth. Hard bristle may damage your gums, always select a soft to medium toothbrush. Dentists commonly recommend toothbrush that is the four rows tuft, soft and made of nylon. Replace your toothbrush every 3 months.

Toothbrush for Adults

Toothbrush For Children