Preceden

History of the Toothbrush Timeline

(3500 BCE–Present)

The history of the toothbrush traces how societies developed tools for cleaning teeth, evolving from simple chewing sticks to bristled, mass-produced, and electric brushes. Less

Go to: Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Ancient cleaning practices

Chew sticks used in Sumer

3500 BC

The earliest known chew sticks were discovered in Sumer in southern Mesopotamia, dating to approximately 3500 BC. These simple twigs were chewed and frayed at one end so their fibers could be used to clean the teeth.

Chew sticks placed in an Egyptian tomb

3000 BC

An Egyptian tomb dating from about 3000 BC contained evidence of a chew stick. This discovery shows that plant-based tooth-cleaning tools were used in ancient Egypt.

Chew sticks mentioned in Chinese records

1600 BC

Chinese records dating from approximately 1600 BC mention chew sticks, adding early written evidence for the use of these tooth-cleaning implements.

Miswaks used in Muslim communities

600 - 699

Miswaks have been used by Muslims since the 7th century. Made from suitable plant stems or roots, they provided a portable and traditional way to clean the teeth.

Early toothbrush development

Dōgen observes Chinese tooth-cleaning brushes

1223

In 1223, Japanese Zen master Dōgen Kigen recorded in his Shōbōgenzō that he saw monks in China cleaning their teeth with brushes made from horsetail hairs attached to an oxbone handle.

Shōbōgenzō records brush use

1223

Dōgen’s 1223 account in the Shōbōgenzō is an important written description of a bristled toothbrush, documenting a handled brush rather than a simple chew stick.

Horsetail hairs used as bristles

1223

The Chinese brushes observed by Dōgen used horsetail hairs as bristles. The account provides evidence of an early brush design based on bundled animal or plant fibers.

Oxbone handles used for brushes

1223

The toothbrushes described by Dōgen had oxbone handles, showing the use of a rigid, shaped handle to support the cleaning bristles.

Image source: Toothbrush

Oxbone handles used for brushes

Toothbrushes adopted in Europe

1600 - 1699

Toothbrushes were adopted in Europe during the 17th century, marking the spread of handled bristle brushes beyond their earlier Asian use.

The word toothbrush appears in English

1690

The earliest identified use of the word “toothbrush” in English appeared in Anthony Wood’s autobiography. Wood wrote that he had bought a toothbrush from J. Barret in 1690.

Industrial production

William Addis is jailed after a riot

1770

William Addis was jailed in 1770 for causing a riot. According to the history associated with the toothbrush industry, his imprisonment preceded his development of a more practical toothbrush.

William Addis makes a mass-produced toothbrush

1780

William Addis is believed to have made the first mass-produced toothbrush in Britain in 1780, helping establish toothbrush manufacture as a commercial industry.

Addis toothbrush production expands

1780

The toothbrush associated with William Addis represents an early British transition from individually made brushes to organized, repeatable production.

The Addis business remains family-owned

1808 - 1996

After William Addis’s death, the business remained within family ownership until 1996, spanning nearly two centuries of toothbrush production.

Addis dies and leaves the business to his son

1808

William Addis died in 1808 and bequeathed his toothbrush business to his eldest son, continuing the enterprise through the family.

Toothbrushes mass-produced across Europe and Japan

1840

By 1840, toothbrushes were being mass-produced in Britain, France, Germany, and Japan, demonstrating the international expansion of industrial toothbrush manufacture.

H.N. Wadsworth receives a toothbrush patent

1857

The first patent for a toothbrush was granted to H.N. Wadsworth in the United States in 1857. It was recorded as U.S. Patent No. 18,653.

U.S. toothbrush patent No. 18,653 issued

1857

U.S. Patent No. 18,653 formalized an early toothbrush design in the United States and is identified as the country’s first toothbrush patent.

Mass production begins in the United States

1885

Although a U.S. toothbrush patent had been granted in 1857, mass production of toothbrushes in the United States did not begin until 1885.

Hertford Museum receives the Addis Collection

1900 - 1999

Hertford Museum in Hertford, UK, holds approximately 5,000 brushes forming part of the Addis Collection, preserving a substantial record of the company and toothbrush history.

The Addis factory employs Hertford workers

1900 - 1996

The Addis factory on Ware Road was a major employer in Hertford until 1996, linking toothbrush manufacturing to the economic and industrial life of the town.

Modern toothbrush innovation

DuPont develops nylon toothbrush fibers

1938

By 1938, natural animal bristles were replaced by synthetic fibers, usually nylon, developed by DuPont. This change improved consistency and enabled new forms of mass production.

The first nylon-bristle toothbrush goes on sale

Feb 24, 1938

The first nylon-bristle toothbrush made with nylon yarn went on sale on February 24, 1938, introducing synthetic bristles to consumers.

The Broxodent electric toothbrush is invented

1954

The first electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, was invented in Switzerland in 1954. It marked a major technological shift from manually operated toothbrushes.

Image source: Electric toothbrush

The Broxodent electric toothbrush is invented

Johnson & Johnson introduces the Reach toothbrush

1977

Johnson & Johnson introduced the Reach toothbrush in 1977. The product came from a leading medical supplies firm and represented a modern commercial toothbrush design.

The Collis Curve toothbrush is developed

1978

In 1978, Dr. George C. Collis developed the Collis Curve toothbrush, identified as the first toothbrush to have curved bristles.

Nylon becomes widely used for bristles

2000 - 2099

By the turn of the 21st century, nylon had come to be widely used for toothbrush bristles, replacing most traditional animal-hair bristles.

Thermoplastic handles become standard

2000 - 2099

By the turn of the 21st century, toothbrush handles were usually molded from thermoplastic materials, supporting efficient production of durable, shaped handles.

The toothbrush receives top invention ranking

Jan 2003

In January 2003, the toothbrush was selected as the number one invention Americans could not live without, according to the Lemelson–MIT Invention Index.

Key Facts

  1. Ancient civilizations, including the Babylonians and Egyptians, used chewing sticks to clean their teeth as early as 3500 BCE.
  2. In China, bristled toothbrushes made from hog hair attached to bamboo or bone handles appeared during the Tang Dynasty, around the 600s CE.
  3. European toothbrushes developed between the 1500s and 1700s, often using animal hair set into wooden or bone handles.
  4. William Addis is commonly credited with creating an early mass-produced toothbrush in England around 1780.
  5. Nylon bristles, introduced by DuPont in 1938, replaced animal hair, while the first widely recognized electric toothbrush appeared in 1954.

Source

This History of the Toothbrush timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free