HISTORY OF TOOTHBRUSH

The toothbrush is a dental instrument that is used to clean the teeth, tongue and gums. It is
something like an oral hygiene instrument that we use daily in the morning and at night.
Toothbrushes are composed of a handle that is made of plastic and bristles that usually adhere
to the head of the brush. The research found that every person in the United States buys three
toothbrushes every three years.

Before the invention of the toothbrush, people clean their teeth by simply chewing on a stick
until one end softens or sticks the finger in chalk and then rubs the teeth with the liquid.
Some of the ways in which people clean their teeth before the invention of the toothbrush are
animal bones, chewing sticks, tree twigs and bird feathers. Chew stick was the ancestor of the
toothbrush. Chewing sticks were discovered in Mesopotamia in 1350 BC The first bristle
toothbrush was founded in China. These toothbrushes were used during the Tang Dynasty in
the year (619 - 907). These toothbrushes consist of pig bristles. Pig bristles were obtained
from pigs that lived in Siberia and northern China. These were attached to a handle that is
made from bone or bamboo, which forms a toothbrush. In 1223, Japanese Zen master Dogen
Kigen witnessed in Shobogenzo that he saw monks in China who were grinding their teeth
with brushes made of horsetail hair attached to an ox handle. The brush extension of bristles
to Europe, brought from China to Europe by travelers. It was implemented in Europe during
the seventeenth century. The first known use of the word toothbrush in English was in the
autobiography Anthony Wood, who wrote in 1690 that he had bought a toothbrush from J.
Barret. Europeans discovered that bristle bristle brushes introduced from China were too firm
and preferred toothbrushes from softer bristles made from horsehair. Mass-produced
toothbrushes made with horse bristles or boar continued to be introduced into England from
China until the mid-20th century. In Europe, it is assumed that William Addis of England
made the first toothbrush mass produced in 1780. In 1770, he was imprisoned for provoking a
revolt. While in prison, he decided that using a cloth with soot and salt on his teeth was
useless and could be improved. After saving a small bone from a meal, he drilled small holes
in the bone and tied the tufts of bristles he had gained from one of the guards, passed the tufts
of bristles through the holes in the bone and sealed the holes with rubber . After his release,
he became rich after starting a toothbrush manufacturing business. He died in 1808, granting
the business to his eldest son. It persisted in family ownership until 1996. Under the Wisdom
Toothbrushes label, the company now produces 70 million toothbrushes per year in the
United Kingdom. By 1840 toothbrushes were manufactured in England, France, Germany
and Japan. Pig bristles were used for cheap toothbrushes and badger hair for the most
luxurious ones.

The first patent for a toothbrush was granted to HN Wadsworth in 1857 (U.S. Patent No.
18,653) in the United States, but mass manufacturing in the United States did not begin until
1885. The improved design had a bone handle with perforated holes. For Siberian boar hair
bristles. Unfortunately, animal bristles were not a perfect material, since the bacteria did not
dry efficiently and the bristles were often freed from their intended fixed inserts. In addition
to bone, wooden or ivory handles were prepared. In the United States, tooth brushing did not
become a practice until after World War II, when American soldiers had to clean their teeth
daily. During the 1900s, celluloid slowly replaced the handles of bones. The natural bristles
of animals were also replaced by synthetic fibers, usually nylon, by DuPont in 1938. The first
nylon bristle toothbrush created with nylon thread went on sale on February 24, 1938. The
first toothbrush Electric teeth, the Broxodent, was designed in Switzerland in 1954. By the
turn of the 21st century, nylon had been widely used for bristles and the handles were
generally molded with thermoplastic materials.
Johnson and Johnson, a leading medical supplies firm, introduced the "Reach" toothbrush in
1977. It differed from previous toothbrushes in three ways: it had an angled head, analogous
to dental instruments, to reach the teeth later the bristles were focused closer than usual to
clean each tooth of potentially cariogenic materials (which cause cavities); and the outer
bristles were longer and softer than the internal bristles. Other manufacturers soon copied
with other designs aimed at improving efficiency. Despite the changes with the amount of
tufts and the spacing, shape and design of the handle, the bristles were still straight and
difficult to maneuver. In 1978, Dr. George C. Collis designed the Collis Curve toothbrush,
which was the first toothbrush to have curved bristles. The curved bristles follow the
curvature of the teeth and extend safely between the teeth and into the groove areas. In
January 2003, according to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, the toothbrush was chosen as
the number one creation.

The raw materials of a regular toothbrush include a plastic handle, a rubber grip attached with
rubber and nylon bristles. The toothbrush handles are usually made of a type of plastic called
Copolyester, which can withstand the effects of peppermint oil on most plastics and is safe
for toothpaste. The production of toothbrushes has evolved in line with the technological
advance. In the process of creating the modern toothbrush, the Copolyester material is melted
into an ergonomic, angled handle for easy use. Then, the producers are concerned about
joining the rubber accent and organizing striking color schemes. Small holes are drilled in the
brush head, and the boxes of finished toothbrush handles are sent to a bristle factory. Factory
machines load the brush with bristles, and are trimmed and refined. Once they have an
invariable height, the bristles are molded and rounded. The finished toothbrush is packaged
for sale. The production of toothbrushes has grown since the early twentieth century when the
handles were made of wood and the bristles came from pig necks or were made with other
natural components, such as horse hair. Scientific research on the stability and competence of
the components led to developments in the design and production of toothbrushes. The
toothbrush production process is very simple to know. The interesting thing is to know how
the bristles are attached to the head of the toothbrush. The toothbrush is made of plastic,
therefore, the best procedure used to produce them is plastic injection molding. In injection
molding, the matrix is created according to the requirements of the proper size and shape of
the toothbrush. After designing the die for the toothbrush, plastic pellets are used as
components for the injection molding machine. They are melted and injected with great
pressure into the cavity of the stainless steel mold and, therefore, the desired shape of the
toothbrush is obtained in the form of plastic material. In the previous mold twelve
toothbrushes are produced at the same time.

As you can see, the mold has cavities in the shape of a toothbrush. The cavity comprises the
holes in the head of the toothbrush which are used to fix the nylon bristles later on. It is very
interesting to know that these bristles are bent halfway and the staple ring is used to hold
them together at their end. The machine fixes it in the hole. It works very fast. In a single hole
approximately 24 bristles are fixed. If you want to see these metal staples simply break your
old toothbrush, you will find it incredible to see them. The first stage before fabrication is to
design the toothbrush. Toothbrush producers and product designers will work together to
create a toothbrush. The purpose of the toothbrush will be affected by a number of features,
such as the intended audience, for example, adults or children. Research can convince you
that medical or consumer trends could affect the shape, color and angle of the brush head.
During the design process, a lot of dissimilar thoughts are made to create a product that meets
the needs of the brands, but that is also feasible. This can take an amount to get something
that is right and proper. The design and production components affect the cost paid by
consumers. The more technically sophisticated or specialized products will often get a higher
cost of production and resale. Prototypes or samples are made to test and verify certain
components of the design and production process, before machining for bulk production. It is
at this stage that changes can be made if problems are found that were not evident in the
primary design and concept stages. The prototypes are modified until all the parts are
satisfied. Once the agreements are completed, the production line will be designed to produce
this product. This includes making appropriate molds and variations to the equipment needed
in the manufacturing process. Some brands will create the toothbrush, while others may
subcontract the production to another company. In some cases, brands buy a "ready to use"
design and modify it with their logo, packaging, etc. One of the initial stages is to create the
handle of the brush. The plastic granules or granules are stored in an injection molding
machine, which heats them until they dissolve. Once a hot liquid a rotating screw or plunger
presses the plastic into the mold. The molds are often for the entire handle of the brush,
which comprises the small holes in which the bristles will then be fixed. These holes are
called nuclei. The one-piece molding process makes it a stronger toothbrush. For an electric
toothbrush, the brush head is usually made alone and the handle, larger and hollow so that a
motor and a battery are fixed inside. The pressure, often in the form of gas or air, is applied
inside the mold until the plastic has frozen and formed into the final shape. Once finished, the
small pins push the handle out of the mold and into the filling machine. It is common at this
stage for computers and sensors to check each handle of the brush to make sure it meets the
desired specifications and that no flaws have occurred during the molding process.
Depending on the design of the brush head, the bristles may be thicker or thinner, as well as
softer or firmer, with a combination of these used in some brush heads. The bristles can also
be of different colors for design purposes or for functional reasons. Many brushes now have
diminishing indicator bristles, which fade over time to act as a reminder to vary the brush
heads commonly. Once the bristles are in place, they are usually a little rough. They should
be cut and molded to the manufacturer's description. A computer-guided machine will guide
a sharp blade, which will cut the bristles to the correct length and shape for the brush being
manufactured. The bristles are often blunted as part of this procedure to eliminate sharp
edges. In some situations, the bristles are cut or designed specifically to have a contour on the
tip to aid in the brushing and cleaning process. Rounded bristles tend to be spongy and more
comfortable on the teeth and gums. The heads of the brushes pass through an ultraviolet light
to destroy the germs and bacteria, making them safe for you and me. The toothbrush has now
been formed. Then it is given for packing. In the case of a manual toothbrush, it is often a
plastic or cardboard container. This protects the brush a little and keeps it germ-free. The
package will include all the information about the product that you and I, as consumers, can
see and read by looking at them on store shelves. An electric toothbrush is usually packaged
in a larger box, with the right brush head and in many situations a number of other
accessories that have been manufactured in the same place or elsewhere. They are put
together in a box. The individual brushes are collected in larger boxes for delivery and
distribution in stores. It will fluctuate from one producer to another, but the big brands will
often take many brushes and subject them to a series of laborious tests. Once the samples
pass this, they are authorized for delivery and sale.