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One of the first dated tools in human history is toothbrushes. You need to know certain surprising information and fun facts about your toothbrush.
The first toothbrush is made of twigs and animal hair.
The first toothbrush can be dated back to 3000 BC, about 5000 years ago. In the early days, twigs with frayed tips were used to clean the tooth’s surface. You can deduce that the sudden movement and texture were similar to sandpaper. It took a few years for the toothbrush made with tree branches to evolve to the form we know today.
Man has used twigs, leaves, and even gold toothpicks to clean his teeth. For a long time, brushes were made with a bone for a handle and animal hair for a bristle. A brush more similar to the one we use today, found by paleontologists in Europe, is about 300 years old.
In the 15th century, in China, the raw material for brushes was animal hair. The hairs are mainly from pigs and horses. The hairs are tied to pieces of bones or bamboo sticks. The problem is that the brushes hurt people’s mouths, in addition to the hair accumulating moisture and ending up moldy.
The current brush was developed in 1938
The nylon bristles we use today were developed in 1938 by Robert Hutson in the United States. With the new model’s success, many formats have been tested since then.
It wouldn’t be easy to brush your teeth with twigs, foliage, or animal hair. In addition, we have to look for the raw material to manufacture the brush itself. Therefore, in 1938, Robert Hutson took charge of producing the nylon bristles, responsible for the comfort when brushing the teeth. With the success of the material, new formats are still being tested.
That’s why we find a wide variety of toothbrushes on the market and satisfy different types of customers. The industry is always trying to improve the user experience with new technologies.
The first set of an electric toothbrush can cause shocks
Electric toothbrushes have been around since 1954. They were created in Switzerland to help people who had motor problems. In this way, brushing would be easy to perform, and the person would not need someone to complete the task.
This invention did not get off to a good start, as it gave users small shocks, a defect present in almost all early models. Therefore, the argument used was that the shocks served to improve brushing.
Family toothbrushes were shared in the olden.
Due to a lack of resources, the families shared the same brush at the same time. This caused many problems. A member of the family can pass oral diseases to the other. In the beginning, they were luxury items, and their exacerbated value meant that families only bought one to use together. It may seem like substantial and straightforward items for oral hygiene, but it wasn’t always that way then.
Nowadays, It is very common for the family’s toothbrushes to be placed in the same glass. However, this practice is inappropriate because bacteria from one person can pass to another. It is not advisable to have toothbrushes close.
The ideal way to store a toothbrush is in a place apart from the others, which is dry and ventilated, but you should also use a cover or protective capsule for the brush head.
The problem with this practice is that bacteria that cause cavities, gingivitis, and other issues can quickly spread among family members.
The bamboo toothbrush is 100% biodegradable.
Environmental issues are becoming more and more an issue observed in the consumption of products and services. With toothbrushes, it was no different. One of the significant innovations for the sector is the 100% biodegradable bamboo brush, without aggression and pollution to Planet Earth.
Unlike plastic, a material that is still very common, bamboo toothbrushes can be planted after being discarded, taking only 30 years for their decomposition. This is a much shorter time compared to plastic.
A total of about 90 days is spent brushing in a lifetime.
Time is something very precious and, throughout our lives. We invest much more than we think in small tasks and habits.
Would you guess how much time of your life you spend brushing your teeth? Various sources indicate that if we put together all the minutes that a person (on average) spends brushing their teeth, we would accumulate about 90 days.
Our teeth do not care if we use a manual brush or an electric one, as long as we brush them. The important thing is not how much you spend on the brush, but choosing one with which you feel comfortable and taking care of it so that your mouth and teeth do not suffer.
Toothbrush bristles contain more than 10 million microorganisms
Your toothbrush is just another tool in the bathroom. But before putting it in our mouths, you should know that there are bacteria on toothbrushes. The average number of bacteria on toothbrushes is usually 10 million or more, including some significant ones like E. coli and Staph.
Our brush is a small bacteria magnet, which attracts them in different ways. If you keep your toothbrush in the bathroom, it can become contaminated easily. This occurs by the splashes produced when you wash your hands. You should also note that leaving the toilet lid open can leave bacteria in the air that can fall on our toothbrushes.
This is why it is advisable to cover your toothbrush when dry. You also have to change your toothbrush after three months even if it is still in good condition.
After having a cold, throat infection, or gastritis, you should throw away your toothbrush. If you don’t, you could keep bacteria on the bristles and keep any virus dormant or promote other infections.
In theory, we should change our toothbrushes every three months or at the first sign of wear. By “worn,” we mean that the bristles are no longer aligned (like when it was new). When using a worn brush, several undesirable things happen. The cleanliness we achieve will not be as effective in removing plaque or food debris. Brushing with worn bristles can irritate soft tissues. This increases the chance of tooth decay and gum or periodontal disease.