Dental Trivia

• The electric toothbrush was first introduced in 1939.

• The first toothbrush was made by William Addis of Clerkenwald, England.
• The Florence Manufacturing Company of Massachusetts, was one of the first companies to produce toothbrushes in America in 1885. The first model was the Pro-phy-lac-tic brush. This company was also the first to distribute the toothbrushes in boxes to prevent any cross contamination.
• The first American to gain a patent for a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth.
• The natural bristles of early toothbrushes were taken from the necks and shoulders of swine, especially pigs living in colder climates like Siberia and China.
• The first nylon bristles were introduced in 1938 and soon replaced the
• natural swine bristles.