Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Natasa Mandic-Kuljic, D.M.D.
January 30, 2019
Tootbrush and mankind
The toothbrush is a modern invention what most people would think, along with oral hygiene, created in the 20th century. But mankind has been trying to clean their teeth ever since we have been eating; back then it was a matter of rubbing our fingers over our teeth.
We as humans have an imagination found everyday objects to assist with the cleaning, some of these being, bird’s claws, feathers, and even shells.
Stickbrush
[A simple twig that was chewed at one end to assist in cleaning your teeth, 3000 BC] A simple twig that was chewed at one end to assist in cleaning your teeth, 3000 BC
Ancient Egyptians
Archaeologists when examining artefacts in Egyptian tombs, of chew, sticks with frayed ends. These are believed to be the earliest toothbrushes, dating to 3000 BC. The Egyptian population back then had major problems with their teeth, due to their diet, mainly the bread they ate. The bread contained sand and grit, which ground their teeth.
Records have been found dating to the ancient Egyptians, that document an early form of toothpaste.
The toothpaste was in a powder form, which was made from ox hooves, ashes, burnt shells, and pumice. There is other documentation from Roman occupation, written on papyrus, which provided the exact amounts of the ingredients in the toothpaste. The toothpaste was also a powder, which required precise amounts of rock salt, mint, dried iris flower and grains of powder, which was ground into a powder to be applied to your teeth.