. . . and when did we start
Brushing Our Teeth?

The practice of cleaning one’s teeth goes back hundreds of years. In the Middle Ages wealthy Europeans used twigs made of sweet smelling wood to clean their teeth.

The rich favored toothpicks made of gold and silver, which were, of course, a status symbol.

In 1498, the Emperer of China embedded hog bristles in a bone handle. In a short time, this style of toothbrush became popular throughout Europe. Because of the high cost of hog bristles, the poor could not afford individual toothbrushes. Whole families would try to save money by sharing the same toothbrush.

By the 1920's American dentists were recommending that adults and children use their own toothbrushes to brush their teeth after meals. In 1938, Dupont introduced nylon bristles as a replacement for hog bristles. Today the use of a toothbrush is so widespread that it's hard to imagine life without one!