Nylon toothbrushes weren't introduced until 1938. Image: Shutterstock
Dental hygiene is an ancient concept.
Early forms of the toothbrush are mentioned as early as 3000 BC, when Egyptians and Babylonians used “˜chew sticks’ which were thin twigs with frayed edges used to rub against the teeth. The first bristle toothbrush was invented in China in 1498, where coarse boar hairs were attached to handles made of bamboo or bone. Boar bristles were used until 1938, when nylon bristles were introduced by the company Dupont de Nemours. The first nylon toothbrush was called Doctor West’s Miracle Toothbrush.
