Tooth-cleaning tools date back to chew sticks used by ancient Babylonians and Egyptians around 3500–3000 BCE, while the first bristle toothbrush appeared in China around 1498; the modern toothbrush with nylon bristles was introduced in 1938 by DuPont as “Dr. West’s Miracle Toothbrush.”
Ancient precursors
- Ancient civilizations used “chew sticks”—frayed twigs rubbed on the teeth—as early tooth-cleaning tools around 3500–3000 BCE.
- These early implements preceded handled brushes and established the practice of mechanical plaque removal millennia before modern designs.
Bristle toothbrush in China
- A bristle toothbrush resembling today’s form was developed in China around 1498, using hog hair bristles attached to bone or bamboo handles.
- This animal-hair bristle approach spread slowly to Europe and remained common for centuries prior to synthetic fibers.
Mass production milestones
- William Addis in England is credited with the first mass-produced toothbrush circa 1780, using a bone handle and pig bristles.
- In the United States, H. N. Wadsworth received the first American toothbrush patent in 1857, and mass production began around 1885.
Modern nylon toothbrush
- DuPont’s invention of nylon in 1937 enabled the first nylon-bristled toothbrush in 1938, branded as Dr. West’s Miracle Toothbrush.
- Nylon bristles quickly replaced animal hair due to better durability, hygiene, and controllable softness, defining the modern toothbrush standard.
