answersLogoWhite

0

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. I got this from http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/tooth.html
1770
1938
Tooth brushing has been around for thousands of years. The Babylonians were using "chewingsticks" as early as 3500 BC. The first true bristled toothbrush began in China around 1600 AD. Modern toothbrushes began in England around in 1780 with carved handles and natural bristles placed in bored holes and kept in place by a thin wire. By the early 1800's bristled toothbrushes were in use and in 1857 H.N. Wadsworth got the first patent for an American toothbrush. Nylon was first used for bristles by 1938 and in 1939 electric toothbrushes are sold, but the wide use of brushing teeth wasn't until after WW2 when the army enforced the habit with the men in their ranks.
i was told the toothbrush was invented in the year 1498 after a scarcity of leaves used for mouth cleansing,at that time.

User Avatar

Wiki User

9y ago

What else can I help you with?