Who invented the toothbrush?

Mass production of toothbrushes in America did not begin until 1885.

It was made of bone with Siberian pig bristles.

The major disadvantage of pork bristles was that the toothbrush did not dry well, bacteria proliferated quickly and the bristles fell out prematurely.

It was not ideal for hygiene, it had to be soaked in bleach to disinfect it as little as possible.

But the truth is that until the end of the Second World War, the habit of brushing your teeth daily was not very widespread.

This hygiene measure took off after the war because it was made compulsory for the military.

Subsequently, the toothbrush has continued to evolve over the years.

Boar or badger hair, generally from its collar, provides a hair with good roots and a soft end. They finally gave way in the 1930s to synthetic bristles of constant diameter, more hygienic, the hollow natural bristles being breeding grounds for bacteria.

It was the DuPont company which introduced nylon fiber for the first time in 1938 and the first nylon toothbrush was put on the market on February 24, 1938.

The synthetic fiber prevents the proliferation of bacteria, but the hardness of the bristles makes it painful to use.