toothbrush

(tūth'brŭsh')
n.
A brush used for cleaning teeth.

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Background

A toothbrush is a dental instrument used for cleaning teeth, ideally in conjunction with toothpaste or mouthwash. The toothbrush consists of a plastic handle and nylon bristles attached to the head of the brush. Contemporary designs offer a variety of styles and shapes in a market that has swelled to $600 million in the mid-1990s, in part because of price increases, but also because toothbrushes are replaced frequently. On average each person in the United States purchases three toothbrushes every two years, although the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that brushes be changed every three to four months. The best-selling toothbrushes during the 1990s were the Oral-B brand, produced by Gillette Co.; a range of toothbrushes from the Colgate Palmolive Co.; and the Reach toothbrush made by Johnson & Johnson.

Modern medical research has shown that brushing teeth properly can prevent cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal, or gum, disease, which causes at least one-third of adult tooth loss. Gum disease occurs when plaque builds up, forming a gelatinous film that coats the teeth and gums. Plaque consists of about 75% bacteria, and it grows quickly. If teeth are not brushed correctly and frequently, it could lead to the calcification of saliva minerals, forming tartar.

Brushing one's teeth has long been considered an important part of dental hygiene. As long ago as 3000 B.C. ancient Egyptians constructed crude toothbrushes from twigs and leaves to clean their teeth. Similarly, other cultures such as the Greeks, Romans, and Indians cleaned their teeth with twigs. Some would fray one end of the twig so that it could penetrate between the teeth more effectively. By the 15th century the Chinese had designed a more sophisticated toothbrush complete with a brush attached to a handle. A century later the English nobility were using toothbrushes fashioned out of silver.

Toothbrush design has gone through few substantial changes in its long history. Until the early 1900s, toothbrush bristles were generally made of Siberian hog hair. But in 1938, the soft-bristled Miracle Tuft Toothbrush was invented. Within a decade, Oral-B was mass producing soft-bristled toothbrushes. In 1961, the electric toothbrush was introduced. Beginning in the late 1970s, the toothbrush industry started churning out a variety of new designs. They included variations in bristle shape, size, and texture, as well as unconventional handle styles.

Styles of Toothbrushes

By the 1990s, countless styles of toothbrushes filled the shelves of supermarkets and drug stores, many claiming their superiority over other brands. Consumers could choose from toothbrushes with soft or hard bristles, with natural or synthetic bristles, and in a variety of sizes, colors, and configurations. For instance, the Reach toothbrush by Johnson & Johnson was the first toothbrush designed with an angled handle which was intended to make brushing back teeth easier. A later variation on the Reach brush included bristles in a zigzag design.

Colgate also offered an angled brush. One model, called Rippled Bristles, was designed to reach the plaque trapped between teeth. Gillette designed the Oral-B Indicator toothbrush that signaled the user to buy a new brush. The tips of the bristles were coated with a blue dye that would fade to white after about four months of use. The Oral-B Plaque Remover featured taller, contoured bristles that Gillette claimed massaged the gums. SmithKline Beecham designed the AquaFresh Flex, with a flexible, angled handle intended to reduce the pressure put on gums and teeth.

An environmentally sound toothbrush was designed by Jack Hokanson. His Hoke2 brush featured a non-disposable handle with a replaceable bristle head. Some of the most uniquely shaped brushes include the Radius, which featured a wide handle designed for an easier grasp and a large, shoe-brush shaped head packed with bristles. The Collis Curve toothbrush featured bristles which curved inward so that they would hug the teeth, allowing the user to brush the front and back of the teeth at the same time.

Improvements in electric toothbrushes included battery-operated models, rotating heads, and tufts of rotating bristles. A hightech electronic toothbrush, called the Interplak, featured two rows of bristles with tufts that would spin at 4200 rpm, constantly reversing direction, and pulsating against the teeth. The Interplak, as its name suggests, was designed to remove plaque.

Although many dental experts believe that almost any type of soft-bristled brush is effective if properly used, great strides have been made in specialty toothbrushes. For instance, electric toothbrushes are helpful for individuals with limited mobility or dexterity in their hands, such as people afflicted with arthritis. Other special designs include interproximal toothbrushes, which have small triangular brush heads that can clean under fixed bridges and in between widely spaced teeth. Smaller sizes are also available for people with smaller mouths. For people with highly sensitive teeth, toothbrushes with extra-soft bristles made of polished nylon are available.

The Manufacturing
Process

Contemporary toothbrushes are produced mechanically. Generally, toothbrushes consist of plastic handles and nylon or natural boar bristles.

Molding the handles

• Plastic is mixed and shaped into pellets. The pellets are then placed in an injection molding machine, which heats the plastic until it is melted. A rotating screw or plunger forces the liquid plastic into the handle molds. The molds form the entire handle, including the small holes, called cores, into which the bristles are inserted. The molds are securely clamped, and pressure is applied to the molds while the plastic cools. Once the molds have adequately cooled, the clamps are removed, and small pins push the handles out of the molds.

The filling machine

• The bristles, which are usually made of nylon, are positioned into the core of the handle automatically. The bristles are then stapled into the core with tiny metal staples.

Trimming the bristles

• Next, the toothbrush passes through a trimming machine which slices the bristles to the correct length and shape for the particular design.

Packaging the toothbrushes

• The toothbrushes are packaged into cardboard and/or plastic containers. Labels are attached to the package, providing product information such as bristle hardness, as well as recommendations for usage. If the brand is approved by the American Dental Association, the Seal of Acceptance is also stamped on the container.
• Finally, the packaged toothbrushes are bundled into larger shipping boxes or crates and transported to distributors.

Quality Control

The American Dental Association tests a number of toothbrushes and other dental products each year. The ADA measures the efficiency and comfort of toothbrushes and those which meet with their standards are awarded the "ADA Seal of Acceptance." By the mid-1990s the ADA approved more than 45 different toothbrush brands.

Where To Learn More

Periodicals

"New Ways to Save Your Teeth?" Consumer Reports, August 1989, pp. 504-09.

Deveny, Kathleen. "Toothbrush Makers." The Wall Street Journal, October 22, 1991, pp.B1, B10.

—."Today's Toothbrushes." The Wall Street Journal, November 10, 1992, pp. B1, B9.

Higbee, Beth. "The Great Tooth-Brush-Off." Prevention, March 1994, pp. 53-55.

Pierson, John, "Form and Functions." The Wall Street Journal, June 11, 1991, p. B1.

[Article by: Audra Avizienis]

What kind of toothbrush should I use?

Hard bristles or soft? Large head or small? Motorized or not? A toothbrush used to be bristles on the end of a stick. There wasn't much to think about. Now they come in so many shapes and textures that it's hard to know what to look for when choosing the right one. Most dentists agree that soft-bristled brushes are preferable for removing food and plaque from your teeth. They also largely agree that a smaller head is more efficient at getting into the crevices and at covering the greatest surface on all the teeth. When it comes to thick-handled versus thin, rectangle-head versus tapered, or flat bristles versus dome-shaped, it's best to choose the one that is most comfortable for you. What's most important is that the toothbrush fits your mouth and that you are comfortable using it. And be sure to replace your toothbrush at least every three months. Variations on toothbrushes have been around for thousands of years, but it wasn't until the 18th century that the first bristled brushes were made. On this date in 1857, H.N. Wadsworth received the first American patent on a toothbrush.

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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, November 7, 2010

IN BRIEF: Tool used to remove plaque and food leftovers.

Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don't let anybody else use it, and get a new one every six months. — Clifford Stoll

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

as in: the tool used or the action of brushing your teeth
sign description: The index finger wipes back and forth across the teeth.

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n

A manually or automatically operated device with an arrangement of bristles at one end, and a handle designed to reach effectively all exposed surfaces of the teeth and gingiva. A dentifrice is usually applied to the bristles for the purpose of cleaning the teeth and gingiva.

Toothbrush. (Daniel/Harfst, 2002)

For a list of words related to toothbrush, see:

• Grooming Aids and Processes - toothbrush: small brush with handle, used to clean teeth
• Tools and Equipment - toothbrush: rows of short bristles mounted at end of long handle, used to clean teeth

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See words rhyming with "toothbrush."

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - tandbørste

Nederlands (Dutch)
tandenborstel

Français (French)
n. - brosse à dents

Deutsch (German)
n. - Zahnbürste

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - οδοντόβουρτσα

Italiano (Italian)
spazzolino da denti

Português (Portuguese)
n. - escova de dentes (f)

Русский (Russian)
зубная щетка

Español (Spanish)
n. - cepillo de dientes

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tandborste

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
牙刷

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 牙刷

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 칫솔

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 歯ブラシ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) فرشه ألأسنان‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מברשת-שיניים‬

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