The year 1998 marked the 500th anniversary of the toothbrush.
A 17th century Chinese encyclopedia says that the toothbrush was invented in China in 1498. This prototype toothbrush is said to have had bristles set at right angles in the handle and appears to have been basically of the same design as its modern counterpart.
The earliest English reference to toothbrushes, as claimed by the Shell Book, is contained in a letter addressed to Sir Ralph Verney in 1649, asking him to purchase, during his forthcoming visit to Paris, some of those "little brushes for making clean of the teeth."
By the end of the 17th century toothbrushes were available in Britain. The diary of Anthony A. Wood for 1690 records that they could be bought in London from one retailer called J. Barret. According to Messrs. Floris of Jermyn Street, it was customary in the 18th century to sell toothbrushes in sets containing 5-6 different sizes; the reason is unknown. They were supplied to Floris by a company founded in 1780 by William Addis, a company which claims to have been the first toothbrush manufacturers in Britain.
By the beginning of the 20th century, toothbrushes were readily available in Europe and America, but they were expensive items made of bone or ivory, expected to last for a long time. The shape of the handle was much the same as the standard one used today, but the bristles were nearly twice as long as modern versions.
In the 1930s plastic toothbrushes were first produced, though on a small scale. The shape of the head was retained, this time in plastic with natural bristles. The first one with nylon bristles was called 'Miracle Tuft Toothbrush', which had Du Pont Exton bristles. It was first marketed by the company Dr. West in the USA, exactly 70 years ago.
However, it was not until the plastic handle and nylon bristle were married in 1953 that the toothbrush as we know it today was born. With plastic handled, nylon bristled toothbrushes being mass-produced, prices fell and brushes became affordable to the common masses for the first time. Natural bristles continued to be used, marketed as "pure" and "healthy", while the cheaper and more durable nylon bristled toothbrush started becoming much more popular.
