Who Invented the Toothbrush

According to the American Dental Association, the first toothbrush was remarkably crafted in 1498 by an emperor in China who did so resourcefully using hog bristles and a bone handle...not the most appetizing form of hygiene, its seems, but perhaps better than no brushing at all. Not until the 17th Century were toothbrushes common in the West and became increasingly common over the next two centuries. In the 19th Century, tooth cleaning was often performed by vigorous rubbing with a piece of rag cloth (a practice first used in Europe during Roman times). In 1938, natural animal hair bristles were replaced by synthetic materials, namely nylon, by Dupont. On February 24, 1938, the first nylon bristle toothbrush (fashioned with nylon yarn) went on sale and was called "Doctor West's Miracle Toothbrush."