Your Toothbrush: 8 Lesser Known Facts

Toothbrushes have been around for thousands of years to clean teeth, but it has only been in recent decades it has evolved to offer strong protection against tooth decay.

Here are eight interesting facts about toothbrushes that you might not have known about.

Facts About Your Toothbrush

1. Bacteria linger on bristles following sickness

After you have used your toothbrush during a cold or some other illness, you should dispose of your toothbrush immediately and move on to another one. Instead of exposing yourself to more bacteria, it’s best to get a fresh start with a new brush.

2. Electric brushes are more effective

You can clean your teeth better with an electric brush than a manual brush because it offers more revolutions per minute. The faster the rotations, the better you’ll be able to remove plaque and other debris.

3. Soft outperforms hard

Soft bristles work best for your gums, which need protection as much as your teeth. While hard bristles are most useful for scrubbing sinks and kitchen countertops, they can sometimes help you clean areas in the mouth that are hard to reach.

4. Toothbrushes last 3-4 months

You should get a new manual toothbrush every three to four months since bristles wear out and become weakened. Many people don’t think about this fact and hang on to toothbrushes too long.

5. Bristles clean tongues

Another often overlooked aspect of toothbrushes is that they are effective at cleaning your tongue as well as your teeth and gums.

6. Nylon bristles replaced boar hairs in 1938 with a product called Doctor West’s Miracle Toothbrush.

7. Toothbrushes were first mass produced in America in the 1880s, about a century after they were first mass produced in

England.

8. The first electric toothbrush in America appeared in 1960 under the brand name Broxodent.