In 2003, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the United States, published a survey where it questioned the most important invention ever developed. At first, many would suspect that the wheel, modern communication devices or any other modern paraphernalia would gain its place without major problems. However, to everyone's surprise, most pointed to the toothbrush as the most important invention in history.
In fact, the concern with the mouth and teeth appears as one of the oldest forms of personal hygiene care in many cultures. Recent archaeological studies have found in a 5,000-year-old Egyptian tomb an artifact that could be seen as the oldest of all toothbrushes. In fact, the instrument consisted of a plant branch that had its end all shredded until the fibers functioned as bristles.
The Assyrians, reaffirming the pragmatism of that nation of warriors, were already trying to solve the problem by using their finger to clean their teeth. However, other cultures sought stalks, wood, herbs and mixtures that could overcome the discomfort that dirt and bad breath always caused. Around IV century BC. C., the Greek physician Diocles de Caristo prescribed his patients to explore the aromatic powers that mint leaves produced when rubbed on teeth and gums.
In the years he was apprenticed to the philosopher Aristotle, the legendary Emperor Alexander the Great was oriented in detail on how to clean your teeth every morning with a towel made of linen. Among the Romans there is the use of a wonderful mixture with sand, herbs and ashes from animal bones and teeth. The place of oral hygiene was so expressive among the Roman patricians that they allowed themselves the luxury of having slaves in charge of this one task.
Around 1490, the Chinese invented a rustic model of what we could already call a toothbrush. The oriental prototype consisted of a bamboo or bone stalk with a bundle of pig's hair. In addition to being a very expensive artifact, the Chinese toothbrush ended up harming its users as it the animal bristles molded and, therefore, leave the entire oral cavity exposed to fungal attack.
In Medieval Europe, dental care already enjoyed considerable advances, considering the degree of elaboration of toothpaste. However, the cure for bad breath was medicated with a disgusting rinse of urine. At the same time, the Arab prophet Mohammed (570-633) recommended to followers of Islam to use of an aromatic wooden rod that, if rubbed several times a day, could clean and lighten the teeth.
Arriving in the 18th century, a British prisoner named William Addis had the brilliant idea of developing the first modern version of a toothbrush. First, he saved a piece of animal bone from his daily meal. He drilled small holes in one end and got some bristles from a jailer. By tying the bristles into tiny bundles and affixing them with glue to the holes in the bone, he developed the fundamental technology of the invention.
In the 20th century, several scholars began to observe in detail the constituent elements of the various brushes available on the market. The cable anatomy, the arrangement of the bundles, the wear process were systematically analyzed so that the instrument could be improved. In the late 1930s, the use of nylon allowed brushes to clean teeth without the gums suffering major damage.
Currently, colors, shapes and technologies have turned the toothbrush market into a big unknown. Among so many options, many people do not know which type of brush meets good oral hygiene. Dentists generally advise using a brush that is not too large, has soft bristles, and is regularly changed.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Brazil School Team
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Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "History of the Toothbrush"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/curiosidades/historia-da-escova-de-dente.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
