The toothbrush is an instrument consisting of a small brush on a handle used to clean teeth through tooth brushing. Toothpaste, often containing fluoride, is commonly added to a toothbrush to aid in cleaning.

Brushing teeth, a common activity today, has been around for a long time.
The toothbrush as we know it today was not invented until 1938. From around 3000 BC, people used anything from a ‘chew stick’ – a thin twig with a frayed end, to feathers, bones and porcupine quills to clean their teeth.
The bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today, was invented in China in 1498. The bristles were actually made of coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck and attached to a bamboo stick or bone.
Other animals’ hair was also used for dental care, right up until this century. But it was the poor Siberian wild boar that took the brunt of it. The animal was imported for its neck hairs for a long, long time… in fact, until nylon was invented, in the XXth century!
Today the brands, types, and colours of toothbrushes on the market are almost endless. In spite of this, certain African and American populations still use tree branches to care for their teeth!

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