INVENTION OF THE TOOTHBRUSH

 

 On this day - 26th June 1498 

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 INVENTION OF THE TOOTHBRUSH 

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 Humans have been picking their teeth for as long as they've been eating.
Toothpick grooves have even been found in the teeth of prehistoric humans!

Early toothpicks were fashioned from bird claws or feathers, porcupine quills, wooden thorns, bamboo, bones, ivory, shells, quills or even walrus whiskers!

 The early history and evolution of the toothbrush has its origin in the "chewingsticks" used by the Babylonians as early as 3500 BC.

As the years passed, toothpicks matured into the chew stick which was about the size of a modern pencil.

 One end of the chewstick was chewed, and became softened and brush-like.
The opposite end was pointed and used as a pick, to clean food and debris from between the teeth.

The twigs used were also carefully chosen from aromatic trees, that had the ability to clean and freshen the mouth.

 At the time, very few people in the Western world brushed their teeth, and often used rags or sponges dipped in sulfur oil or a salt solution, to rub their teeth clean.

Sometimes these rags were attached to a stick to help reach the back teeth, but the teeth were essentially being mopped, rather than brushed.

 Europeans tended to use goose feather toothpicks, or ones made of silver or copper - if you were rich enough.

Feathers had a brief appearance as makeshift toothbrush bristles, but they likely didn’t get the job done.

A mouthful of feathers doesn't sound very appealing, either!

 The invention of the modern bristle toothbrush, is credited to the Chinese on 26th June 1498.

This first true toothbrush was described as a cattle-bone handle with embedded Siberian boar hair bristles.

People, however, did the wild boar hairs a bit too stiff, on their pearly whites.

The wiry hairs were good at cleaning, but may have removed some of the users’ enamel too!

 Chinese toothbrushes were brought to Europe by sea traders, and became popular in the 17th Century.

Europeans, likely spurred on by the desire to keep their enamel intact, began to manufacture toothbrushes made with softer horse hair.

Tired of using salt and rags to rub their gums, the toothbrush quickly took off - making it one of the most popular purchases.

 These softer-bristled models gained in popularity, when William Addis of Clerkenwald, England, decided to produce a more modern toothbrush.

When he died in 1808, he left the company to his eldest son.

Wisdom Toothbrushes is still in business today, manufacturing over 70 million toothbrushes per year!

The Tudor Intruders (and more)
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 Source - computersmiths/chineseinvention