Evolution of the toothbrush through history until Sonic Brush

Can you imagine a world in which there was no such thing as a toothbrush? Seems difficult to do, right? But the toothbrush as we know today is the product of years and years of perfecting mechanics according to the necessity of people.

Nearly every society of the world at some point had its own version of a toothbrush.  One of its earliest can be found across Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations as early as 3500 BC.  

However, other ways of cleaning teeth did exist. For example, the Greeks used a cloth soaked with salt solutions and sulfur oils that was to be rubbed onto the teeth and gums. To get to the molars, a stick would sometimes be used to push the cloth in places where fingers could not easily reach.

However, the most common way to clean teeth was the use of a stick or a twig.

People would use a particular twig, otherwise known as Miswak. Made from the Salvadora persica tree, the Miswak required people to chew on its ends to clean teeth. The stick was believed by its users to carry antiseptic and healing properties.

Gradually the toothbrush evolved, and the first one that resembled the modern toothbrush was found in China in 1438. However, it was not the best in terms of design and function. The hair used to create the bristles came from Siberian wild boars, which was harsh and rough on the gums.

 

 

An alternative to the boar bristles was horse hair, which was comparatively softer to use. Europe became interested in the toothbrush in the 17^th century, but it was in 1780 that the first toothbrush was mass produced by William Addis.

 

 

Addis’ idea for the brush came to him during the time he spent in jail, when he became dissatisfied with the cleaning mechanisms of the time. So he saved bone from a meal one day, made holes in it, added bristles that he received from a guard at the prison and stuck them in the holes with glue.

Once Addis cleared his sentence, he started a manufacturing business that ended up influencing others in France, Germany and Japan to mass produce their own. Addis’ company still exists with the name “Wisdom Toothbrushes”

 

 

Toothbrushes began production and circulation in American in the late 1880s. Since then, advancement in technology made the toothbrush one of the most important items involved in maintaining oral hygiene. 

One of the major developments was the replacement of animal hair bristles with nylon in 1930, which could dry in-between uses and hence transferred significantly less bacteria. This made the process of brushing teeth much cleaner and hygienic, as well as increased comfort levels.

 

 

By the 1950s, technological advancements led to the electric toothbrush that was first created in Switzerland. One of its major advantages was that it allowed people with motor disabilities to be able to brush their teeth properly and with relative ease.

 

But the electric toothbrush began being used by many people as it was more efficient at cleaning, thereby improving the standards of oral hygiene even further.

This design was eventually responsible for what became in 2019 the Sonic Brush, invented by Dr. Max Spicer in Munich. An automatic sonic toothbrush which clean all your teeth at the same time thanks to its 360° ultrasound brushing effect.

Since its advent, the Sonic Brush has gotten quite popular and become the primary choice of many for their oral health. In comparison with regular toothbrushes, the Sonic Brush is very useful in removing plaque and other deposits to improve oral hygiene. Additionally, the Sonic Brush is more effective at reducing bad breath. Also, the Sonic Brush does most of the work for you, and improve your oral hygiene significantly, helping you avoid gum disease and gingivitis.