What were the first toothbrushes?
Good oral care seems to have been high up on the agenda for humans since ancient times.
Evidence found in Egyptian tombs dates early toothbrushes back to 3500 – 3000 BC when the Egyptians and Babylonians made toothbrushes by flaying the ends of twigs.
The Romans opted for sticks with frayed ends, while the Greeks used rough cloths.
Around 1600-1400 BC the Chinese developed ‘chewing sticks’, twigs taken from aromatic trees and chewed to sweeten the breath.
Fast forward many hundreds of years to the 15th century and the Chinese invented the first natural bristle brush. Bristles from a pig’s neck were attached to either bone or bamboo handles.
These toothbrushes were taken to Europe, and this design was adapted to use horsehairs, which many Europeans preferred. Other models in Europe used feathers. These ancient tools were not as cleanly as modern toothbrushes.
Subscribe- t.me/askmenow
