Brushing your teeth without a toothbrush? Unthinkable! But where did the idea come from and how has the toothbrush developed over the years? How has the need for dental care and oral hygiene changed over the years? The history and development of the toothbrush not only spans many, many years, but is also very interesting.
The beginnings of the toothbrush: chewing sticks and co.
There is no specific date recorded when dental care began. However, it is certain that indigenous peoples still use chewing sticks and chewing sticks to care for their teeth. The cleaning effect comes from various types of wood and plant juices. Constant chewing exposes the finest wood fibers, which in turn resemble a mini toothbrush. Chewing sticks date back to ancient Egypt and are estimated to be four thousand years old. However, it is estimated that this form of tooth cleaning is much older.
Between the 15th and 18th centuries, bamboo, bones and even animal skins were used to clean teeth. The first real toothbrushes were pieces of bamboo or bones fitted with wild boar bristles. Over the years, this form of toothbrush spread from China to Europe.
By the middle of the 18th century, there were numerous adapted forms. Bamboo was replaced by bone, wood by sponges or even cloth. Later, horsehair was also used as bristles.
Christoph von Hellwig invented one of the first toothbrushes in Germany. He made the handle out of metal or wood and inserted bristles made of horsehair into it. This was exactly where the problem lay. Horsehair was too soft. Although users did not experience bleeding gums, the cleaning effect was lacking.
1880 the first model of electric toothbrush is on the market
While the manual toothbrush was slow to establish itself , the first electric toothbrush was patented in 1880. The costs of production were extremely high at the time, so it took around 60 years before the first electric toothbrush was available for purchase.
At about the same time, around 1938, horsehair bristles were replaced by nylon bristles. Wooden handles were gradually replaced by plastic handles. Within the next 10 years, the toothbrush became a mass product.
A device called Broxodent, developed by the Swiss Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog, was the first automatic toothbrush. His model was considered the pioneer for all other electric toothbrushes.
Oral-B took up Woog's idea in 1963 and was able to successfully establish itself on the market with the Mayadent model. The power cable that provided the power supply was considered problematic at the time . It was not until many years later that the cable was replaced by batteries and later by charging stations.
1987 Dental care in focus
From 1987 onwards, the focus was on dental care. Oscillating models and rotating brush heads removed dirt and offered a better cleaning result. The models gradually improved so that they were in no way inferior to the classic manual toothbrush.
In the 1990s, the round brush head also became established; sonic toothbrushes conquered the market. Thanks to their improved cleaning effect, they were often recommended by dentists. Cleaning was not only much easier, but also much more effective.
In 2008, the ultrasonic toothbrush, a further development of the sonic toothbrush, became a talking point. Ultrasonic toothbrushes such as the Emmi-Dent models impress with a very high frequency range. Up to 96 million vibrations per minute are possible. In terms of use, ultrasonic toothbrushes differ significantly from sonic toothbrushes. They simplify the brushing experience many times over and deliver brilliant results.
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