Mainstreaming the Toothbrush

Inventions have always been apart of the American lifestyle. We are always trying to think of something we can invent to help people in their daily routines. There are many that become successes and also many that often fail. The water bottle for instance; this has been a major success for we can carry our water around with us everywhere we go, but it’s only a matter of time when someone comes up with something even better. Another invention that I am thankful for is the Toothbrush. This invention is so simple, but yet so needed in our everyday lives. Hygiene has improved tremendously in our history and the toothbrush started it all. The toothbrush first came about in 3500 BC and was used by the Egyptians and Babylonians. This tool was called the chewing stick; it was made by chewing on a stick till the wood fibers formed a brush like form. They used branches of the salvadora persica tree because it was known to have healing, antiseptic, abrasives, detergents, antiseptics, astringent, fluoride and enzyme inhibitors. This chewing stick is still used in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East; they have realized the benefits of this natural toothbrush and refuse to give it up. This piece of nature can be ordered online and purchased today. In 1498 till 1600, Chinese dentists discovered a more modern way to brush your teeth. They would use a bamboo stick or an animal bone and paste or tie hairs of a cold climate pig to the end. In the mean time, Europeans were still using an ancient Greek way of brushing their teeth and would dip linen cloth or sponges dipped in sulfur oils and salt solution to rub away all the tooth grime. In 1780 a man named William Addis introduced the new and improved Chinese way to brush your teeth.

In 1780 till 1885 William Addis came up with the bristle bone toothbrush while in prison. Pure boredom gave him this idea to take a bone left behind from his dinner and combine it with bristles that his guard had given him. When he was

Bibliography: Mattick, Barbara E. A Guide to Bone Toothbrushes of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries. [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, 2010. Print. Segrave, Kerry. America Brushes Up: The Use and Marketing of Toothpaste and Toothbrushes in the Twentieth Century. Jefferson, NC: McFarland &, 2010. Print. Wynbrandt, James. The Excruciating History of Dentistry: Toothsome Tales & Oral Oddities from Babylon to Braces. New York: St. Martin 's, 1998. Print.