Toothbrush

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The toothbrush is an instrument used to clean teeth. Toothpaste, often containing fluoride, is commonly added to a toothbrush to aid in cleaning. Toothbrushes are offered with varying textures of bristles, and come in many different sizes and forms. Most dentists recommend using a toothbrush labelled "Soft", since firmer bristled toothbrushes can damage enamel and irritate gums. Toothbrushes are often made from synthetic materials although natural toothbrushes are also known in many parts of the world.

1 Brushing the teeth
2 History
3 Electric
- 3.1 Charge
4 See also
5 External links

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Brushing the teeth

When brushing the teeth, one first applies toothpaste to the bristles of the toothbrush. Then, while holding the handle, rubs the bristles against the inner and outer surfaces of his/her teeth with circular movements.

This vertical movement cleans the small pieces of food that get stuck in the gaps between the teeth and between the teeth and the gum. Rubbing with the shaft of the toothbrush is not recommended, except for cleaning the horizontal chewing surface of the molars (the rearmost teeth), as it would not be effective in cleaning and could damage the gum.

When brushing, the toothpaste forms a foam, which should be rinsed out with water.

The brush should be replaced every 3 months, because the bristles get worn in usage. To prevent the spread of pathogens, it's advisable to not share one's toothbrush with anyone else.

Most dentists recommend that teeth be brushed at least twice a day, preferably after eating. Also, an electric toothbrush can be used instead of a manual brush. A dentist or dental hygienist can teach and demonstrate proper brushing techniques.

Brushing the teeth is the most important part of oral hygiene, but there are others, such as flossing the gaps a toothbrush cannot clean, and regular visits to the dentist.

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History

A variety of oral hygiene measures have been used since before recorded history. This has been verified by various excavations done all over the world, in which toothpicks, chewsticks, tree twigs, linen strips, birds' feathers, animal bones and porcupine quills were recovered. In the Muslim world, the miswak or siwak made from a twig or root with antiseptic properties is widely used. Rubbing baking soda or chalk against the teeth was also common.

William Addis, England, is credited with creating the first mass-produced toothbrush in 1780.

The first patent for a toothbrush was by H. N. Wadsworth in 1850 in the United States, but mass production of the product in America only started in 1885. The rather advanced design had a bone handle with holes bored into it for the Siberian Boar hair bristles. (Boar wasn't an ideal material; it retained bacteria, it didn't dry well, and the bristles would often fall out of the brush).

It wasn't until World War II that the concept of brushing teeth really caught on in the U.S., in part due to the fact that it was part of American soldiers' regular daily duty to clean their teeth. It was a practice that they brought back to their home life after the conclusion of the war.

Natural bristles (from animal hair) were replaced by synthetic materials, usually nylon, by DuPont in 1938. The first nylon bristle toothbrush made with nylon yarn went on sale on February 24, 1938.

The first electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, was introduced by Squibb Pharmaceutical at the centennial of the American Dental Association in 1959.

In January 2003, the toothbrush was selected as the number one invention Americans could not live without, beating out the automobile, personal computer, cell phone, and microwave, according to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index. [1]

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Electric

The first electric toothbrush was developed in 1939 in Switzerland but did not appear on the open market until the 1960s when it was marketed as the Broxodent in the United States by Squibb. In 1961 General Electric introduced a rechargeable cordless toothbrush that moved up and down when activated.

In 1987 the first rotary action toothbrush for home use, the Interplak, appeared in shops for the general public. There are currently many different varieties of model that use this mechanism. Research shows these may prove more effective at removing plaque and preventing gingival bleeding than the manual toothbrushes.

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Charge

Water can damage the electric components in the toothbrush so they are completely sealed. There are no metal contacts. These toothbrushes charge using a technique called inductive charging. In the brush unit is one half of a transformer and in the charge-unit is the other part of the transformer. If you put these together, the charge can flow.

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