History of the toothbrush In ancient times there was no such thing as a toothbrush. People would chew feathers, twigs, animal bones or porcupine quills. The first toothbrush was discovered dating from 3,000 years ago.

History of the toothbrush

History of the toothbrush In Japan the toothbrush was made of horse hairs. The very first mass produced toothbrush was manufactured around the year 1780. It was made of animal bone and bristles. Later bristles were made for pig or badger hair.

History of the toothbrush

History of the toothbrush The first patent for a tooth brush was in 1857 in the United States. Mass production began in 1885. Later it was discovered that the use of animal hair was not very health and the hairs would keep bacteria on them.

History of the toothbrush

History of the toothbrush It was not until World War 2 that brushing teeth became a routine practice.

History of the toothbrush

History of toothpaste The early Egyptians would mix burned ox hooves mixed with eggshells, myrrh, pumice and water. Later, the Persians would use burned oyster and snail shells. In both cases, toothpaste was for only the very rich.

History of toothpaste

History of toothpaste In the early 1700s, toothpaste was made of borax but it was very abrasive and wear down the enamel of the teeth which would lead to decay. Prior to world war 2, toothpaste was in lead tin boxes but the lead would get into the toothpaste and cause problems for the user.

History of toothpaste

History of toothpaste During world war 2, that method was changed to aluminum and paper like we see today. Finally after research, by the 1950s, fluoride was added to toothpaste to help prevent tooth decay.

History of toothpaste