When you study history in school, you are often reminded of all the things that people didn’t have that we have today. Conveniences like the telephone, computers, television, or even automobiles often come up as a part of the conversation. However, rarely (if at all) will you ever hear someone talk about the history of the toothbrush. Did they have toothbrushes in ancient times? And if they did, what were those toothbrushes made from?

There are conflicting stories as to when the toothbrush came into existence. There is evidence though that people were brushing their teeth 3000 B.C., making it one of the oldest tools that man still uses today. Of course, the toothbrushes of those ages were very different from the ones we use today.

The history of the toothbrush tells us that the earliest brushes were made from wood. They were round and stick-looking with a splintered end that was used for the actual brushing. The Chinese were the inventors of what is now a common design, with a handle and bristles at one end. It is not known how attentive to their oral health people of the past were, but it probably wasn’t a high priority for most of the population.