October is National Oral Hygiene Month

The modern toothbrush was invented in 1938.  Early forms of a “tooth brush” date to 3000 BC.  Ancient people used a “chew stick”,  a stick that someone would chew on until it became frayed.  The sticks were rubbed against the teeth.

The bristle toothbrush was invented in the mid 1400’s in China.  With handles of bamboo or bone, the bristles were usually taken from an animal with coarse hair.  Boar bristles were often used.  With the invention of plastics in the late 1930’s, nylon bristles were introduced.  The first commercial tooth brush was called Doctor West’s Miracle Toothbrush.  Disciplined oral hygiene became more of a practice in the 1940’s.  This was due to the disciplined hygiene habits of WWII soldiers.

The first American to patent a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth, (patent #18,653) on Nov. 7, 1857.  One of the first electric toothbrushes to hit the American market was in 1960. It was marketed by the Squibb company under the name Broxodent.