All about face > Teeth File > In the beginning… A look at the toothbrush evolution

Every morning, in every household from coast to coast, the sounds of bristles whisking over teeth can be heard. This daily routine is a necessary lifelong commitment to maintain those pearly whites.

The Evolution of the Toothbrush Fact Sheet
In ancient time humans used twigs and sticks about 20 cm / 8"  long with a frayed end for cleaning their teeth. They would mash the stick at one end to increase the cleaning surface.

In the Middle East, Africa and India, they used the miswak, a stick made from the root of the arak tree, more commonly known as the "toothbrush tree", to maintain the mouth, gums and teeth. The most popular wood used for the miswak was from the Salvadora Persica tree that grows in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Chad, southern Egypt and Eastern India. The twig was dipped in hot water or rose water for a few hours to soften the fibres and then chewed or used as a toothbrush.

Ancient Roman patricians employed special slaves to clean their teeth as toothbrushing formed part of some ancient religious observances.

The first bristle brush was invented in the 15th century by the Chinese, using hair from the neck of a boar for its bristles.

By the 17th century, the toothbrush had made its way to Europe where the bristles were replaced with softer horsehair.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, French dentists, the most advanced dentists in Europe at the time, advocated the use of the toothbrush.

The first mass produced toothbrush was made by William Addis of England.

The first American to patent a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth.

Companies began to mass-produce toothbrushes in America around 1885 but people had to wait until 1938 to brush with a nylon bristle brush.

Most Americans didn't brush their teeth until soldiers brought the Army's enforced habit back home from World War II.

Since that time there have been more than 3,000 toothbrushes patented throughout the world.