The History of the Toothbrush: From Twigs to Modern Brushes

On February 24, 1938, the American chemical company DuPont put the world’s first nylon toothbrush on the market. Its name is telling: “Dr. West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush” — a grandiose label for what was, at its core, a bundle of synthetic fibers on a handle. Coming from an era when people jammed hog bristles into bone, the leap to engineered filaments must have genuinely felt miraculous. But the truly surprising fact lies elsewhere: 3,400 years before nylon appeared, the Babylonians were already chewing twigs into fiber-tipped brushes and scrubbing their teeth with them.^[1]

Ancient Dental Cleaning: When a Twig Was Your Toothbrush

Humanity’s desire to clean its teeth stretches back to the very beginnings of civilization. Archaeological records show that by around 3500 BCE, the Babylonians and Egyptians were already using chewing sticks.^[1] These sticks were made by chewing one end of a certain type of branch until the fibers splayed out, then using that frayed end to scrub the teeth and gums.

Chewing sticks have been found inside ancient Egyptian tombs, revealing that people of that era considered oral hygiene important enough to carry into the afterlife. In India, the Ayurvedic tradition prescribed neem (Neem) tree branches for teeth cleaning for thousands of years. The neem tree contains antibacterial and antifungal compounds, and modern science has since confirmed its effectiveness as a natural oral hygiene tool.^[2]

In the Islamic world, chewing sticks earned a special status under the name “Miswak” or “Siwak.” Made from branches of the Salvadora persica plant, the miswak is recorded in the Hadith as having been used and recommended by the Prophet Muhammad, making it a religious practice among Muslims.^[3] Modern scientific research has confirmed that miswak is significantly effective at removing dental plaque and improving gum health, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized its oral hygiene benefits.^[4]

China, 1498: The Birth of the Modern Toothbrush Prototype

The earliest toothbrush closely resembling what we use today is believed to have been invented in China. Made during the Ming Dynasty in 1498, this brush featured hog bristles — particularly from pigs raised in cold climates such as Siberia or northern China — attached to a handle made of bone or bamboo.^[5] Bristles from pigs raised in colder climates were harder and more durable, making them effective for cleaning teeth.

The design of this brush is structurally remarkably similar to modern toothbrushes: a bundle of bristles fixed at a right angle to the end of a handle — the very same basic layout used today. This Chinese invention spread to Europe via trade routes, but Europeans did not adopt it immediately as-is. Some found the hog bristles too stiff, preferring softer alternatives such as horsehair or other animal fur.^[5]

Records from the earlier Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE) already mention dental cleaning tools with fixed animal bristles, confirmed by archaeological finds as well. China’s longstanding interest in oral health is also evident in Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) medical texts, which describe tooth-brushing methods in considerable detail.^[6]

A Business Born in Prison: William Addis and Europe’s Toothbrush

The story behind the commercial production of toothbrushes in Europe is a uniquely colorful one. In 1770, a British man named William Addis was imprisoned in London’s Newgate Prison. Held on suspicion of involvement in a riot, he spent his time thinking about better ways to clean teeth. At the time, the common practice in England was to rub soot and salt onto the teeth with a finger — and Addis was convinced he could do better.^[7]

He saved a bone from a meal, obtained a clump of leftover bristles from a guard, drilled holes in the bone, and secured the bristles with wire to create a toothbrush. After his release, Addis turned this invention into a business, establishing England’s first toothbrush manufacturing company.^[7] That company later became known as “Wisdom Toothbrushes” and remains one of England’s oldest toothbrush manufacturers to this day.

At roughly the same time, toothbrush use was gradually spreading in France. From the late 17th century, French dentists began actively recommending regular brushing, and toothbrushes became fashionable luxury items among the aristocracy.^[8] Napoleon Bonaparte was known to use a toothbrush, and a brush with a silver-plated handle attributed to him is currently held in the Science Museum in London.

By the 19th century, toothbrush production had become more systematic. In 1857, American inventor H. N. Wadsworth obtained a toothbrush-related patent, and by 1885 mass production was well underway in the United States.^[9] Even so, toothbrush bristles continued to be made from hog or other animal hair throughout this period.

1938: Nylon Arrives and the Modern Toothbrush Is Born

Animal-hair toothbrushes had a fundamental flaw. Natural bristles absorbed moisture and created an environment where bacteria could thrive, while also being difficult to clean and maintain. The answer came from the chemical revolution of the 20th century.

In the early 1930s, a team led by Wallace Carothers, a researcher at American chemical company DuPont, developed nylon. Carothers had been studying new synthetic polymers when he discovered a class of polyamide materials that would eventually come to be known as nylon.^[10] Sadly, Carothers died in 1937 and never witnessed the commercial success of his invention, but his research was carried forward by DuPont.

On February 24, 1938, DuPont launched “Dr. West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush,” the first toothbrush with nylon bristles.^[11] It stands as the world’s first nylon toothbrush on record. Nylon bristles offered several advantages over natural ones: they retained their shape when wet, dried quickly to reduce bacterial growth, and could be manufactured to combine both firmness and flexibility. Mass production also brought the price down, and the supply-chain headaches of sourcing animal hair became a thing of the past.

World War II (1939–1945) unexpectedly contributed to the spread of toothbrushing. The U.S. military required soldiers to brush their teeth every day, making it a standard part of military hygiene. Veterans returning from the war carried the habit home with them, and this became a catalyst for establishing daily brushing as a cultural norm across American society.^[12]

The Rise and Evolution of the Electric Toothbrush

Humanity has always sought easier and more effective ways to brush. In 1954, Swiss Dr. Philippe-Guy Woog developed the world’s first electric toothbrush, the “Broxodent.” Originally designed as a medical aid for patients wearing orthodontic appliances or with limited motor skills, it was introduced to the United States in 1959, where it attracted considerable interest.^[13]

In 1961, General Electric entered the mass consumer market with a rechargeable, cordless electric toothbrush called the “Automatic Toothbrush.” Other companies soon followed, and as technology advanced, toothbrush head movement diversified from simple back-and-forth motion to rotary and oscillating designs.^[14]

The 1990s saw the arrival of more sophisticated electric toothbrushes. Braun’s Oral-B brand introduced a rotating-oscillating brush head that dramatically improved plaque removal efficiency. Around this time, clinical studies began accumulating evidence that electric toothbrushes were superior to manual ones in removing plaque.

From the 2000s onward, ultrasonic electric toothbrushes grew increasingly popular. Ultrasonic brushes generate tens of thousands of vibrations per second, using the resulting fluid dynamics to disrupt bacterial biofilm even in the interdental spaces and below the gumline — areas the bristles themselves cannot directly reach.^[15]

Smart Toothbrushes and the Future of Oral Hygiene

In the 21st century, the toothbrush moved beyond being a simple mechanical device and began integrating with digital technology. Around 2014, “smart toothbrushes” that connect to smartphones via Bluetooth started appearing on the market. These brushes monitor brushing time, pressure, and coverage area in real time, providing feedback to the user.^[16] Some models use artificial intelligence to analyze a user’s brushing patterns and offer specific guidance on areas that need improvement.

Eco-friendly toothbrushes have also become a major trend in the modern market. To address the environmental problem of billions of plastic toothbrushes being discarded globally each year, manufacturers have developed brushes with bamboo handles and natural bristles, designs where only the head is replaced while the handle is reused, and even brushes made from fully compostable materials.^[17]

Conclusion

The nylon toothbrush that DuPont branded a “Miracle Tuft” was, in essence, nothing more than the 3,400-year-old chewing stick reinvented in synthetic fiber. The fundamental principle — using fibrous tips to scrape debris off tooth surfaces — has not changed once from the Babylonian era to the age of Bluetooth-enabled smart brushes. What changed were the materials and the power source. Hog bristles gave way to nylon; the motion of the wrist was replaced by ultrasonic vibrations. Yet at its core, a toothbrush remains what it has always been: a device for scrubbing with bristles. The fact that thousands of years of explosive technological change keep circling back to the same physical action may be the most curious paradox of this humble tool.