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A toothbrush is a special type of brush used to clean the Human tooth, gingiva, and tongue. It consists of a head of tightly clustered , onto which toothpaste is applied, mounted on a handle that facilitates cleaning hard-to-reach areas of the mouth. They should be used in conjunction with tools that clean between the teeth―where toothbrush bristles cannot reach―such as Dental floss, tape, interdental brushes or toothpicks.
Toothbrushes are available in different bristle textures, sizes, and forms. Most recommend using soft-bristled toothbrushes, as harder ones may damage tooth enamel or irritate the gums. "Oral Longevity," American Dental Association brochure (PDF), page 2 Retrieved June 12, 2008
Since many common toothpaste ingredients are harmful if swallowed in large amounts, toothpaste should be spat out. Brushing teeth is most often done at a sink in a bathroom or kitchen, where the toothbrush is rinsed afterwards to remove any debris remaining and then dried to reduce conditions ideal for bacterial growth (and, if it is a toothbrush, mold as well).
Some toothbrushes have plant-based handles, often made of bamboo. However, most are made of cheap plastic; such brushes constitute a significant source of pollution. Over 1 billion toothbrushes are discarded into annually in the United States alone. Bristles are commonly made of nylon (which, while not biodegradable like plastic, may still be recycling), bamboo viscose, or Wild boar bristle.
The predecessor of the toothbrush is the chew stick. Chew sticks were twigs with frayed ends used to brush the teeth while the other end was used as a toothpick. The earliest chew sticks were discovered in Sumer in southern Mesopotamia in 3500 BC, an Egyptian tomb dating from 3000 BC, and mentioned in Chinese records dating from 1600 BC.
The Indian way of using tooth wood for brushing is presented by the Chinese Monk Yijing (635–713 CE) when he describes the rules for monks in his book:Li, R., 2000. Buddhist Monastic Traditions of Southern Asia: A Record of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Seas (p. 198). Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. "Every day in the morning, a monk must chew a piece of tooth wood to brush his teeth and scrape his tongue, and this must be done in the proper way. Only after one has washed one's hands and mouth may one make salutations. Otherwise both the saluter and the saluted are at fault. In Sanskrit, the tooth wood is known as the dantakastha—danta meaning tooth, and kastha, a piece of wood. It is twelve finger-widths in length. The shortest is not less than eight finger-widths long, resembling the little finger in size. Chew one end of the wood well for a long while and then brush the teeth with it."
The Greeks and Romans used toothpicks to clean their teeth, and toothpick-like twigs have been excavated in Qin dynasty tombs. Chew sticks remain common in Africa, salvadora persica the rural Southern United States, and in the Muslim world, the use of the chewing stick, miswak, is regarded as a pious action and is prescribed for use before every prayer, occurring five times a day.IslamKotob, Muslims and Science, (Islamic Books), p.30. Miswaks have been used by Muslims since the 7th century. Twigs of Neem Tree have been used by ancient Indians. Neem, in its full bloom, can aid in healing by keeping the area clean and disinfected. In fact, even today, Neem twigs called datun are used for brushing teeth in India, although not hugely common.
In the UK, William Addis is believed to have produced the first mass-produced toothbrush in 1780. In 1770, he had been jailed for causing a riot. While in prison he decided that using a textile with soot and salt on the teeth was ineffective and could be improved. After saving a small bone from a meal, he drilled small holes into the bone and tied into the bone tufts of bristles that he had obtained from one of the guards, passed the tufts of bristle through the holes in the bone and sealed the holes with glue. After his release, he became wealthy after starting a business manufacturing toothbrushes. He died in 1808, bequeathing the business to his eldest son. It remained within family ownership until 1996. Under the name Wisdom Toothbrushes, the company now manufactures 70 million toothbrushes per year in the UK. By 1840 toothbrushes were being mass-produced in Britain, France, Germany, and Japan. Pig bristles were used for cheaper toothbrushes and badger hair for the more expensive ones.
Hertford Museum in Hertford, UK, holds approximately 5000 brushes that make up part of the Addis Collection. The Addis factory on Ware Road was a major employer in the town until 1996. Since the closure of the factory, Hertford Museum has received photographs and documents relating to the archive, and collected oral histories from former employees.
The first patent for a toothbrush was granted to H.N. Wadsworth in 1857 (U.S.A. Patent No. 18,653) in the United States, but mass production in the United States did not start until 1885. The improved design had a bone handle with holes bored into it for the Siberian boar hair bristles. Unfortunately, animal bristle was not an ideal material as it retained bacteria, did not dry efficiently and the bristles often fell out. In addition to bone, handles were made of wood or ivory. In the United States, brushing teeth did not become routine until after World War II, when American soldiers had to clean their teeth daily.
During the 1900s, celluloid gradually replaced bone handles. Natural animal bristles were also replaced by , 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 invented in Switzerland in 1954. By the turn of the 21st century nylon had come to be widely used for the bristles and the handles were usually molded from thermoplastic materials.
Johnson & 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, similar to dental instruments, to reach back teeth; the bristles were concentrated more closely than usual to clean each tooth of potentially Dental caries (cavity-causing) materials; and the outer bristles were longer and softer than the inner bristles. Other manufacturers soon followed with other designs aimed at improving effectiveness.Smithsonian National Museum of American History (2018). Toothbrushes and Innovation: Reach and Beyond. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 30 August 2025. In spite of the changes with the number of tufts and the spacing, the handle form and design, the bristles were still straight and difficult to maneuver. In 1978 Dr. George C. Collis developed the Collis Curve toothbrush which was the first toothbrush to have curved bristles. The curved bristles follow the curvature of the teeth and safely reach in between the teeth and into the gingival sulcus areas.
In January 2003, the toothbrush was selected as the number one invention United States could not live without according to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index.
There are different electric toothbrush heads designed for sensitive teeth and gums, increased stain removal, or different-sized bristles for tight or gapped teeth.Oral-B. Sensitive Gum Care Replacement Brush Heads. Oral-B, n.d.
/a> Accessed 1 Sept. 2025. The hand motion with an electric toothbrush is different from a manual toothbrush. They are meant to have the bristles do the work by just placing and moving the toothbrush, so that fewer back and forth strokes are needed.
The use of interdental brushes in conjunction with tooth brushing has been shown to reduce both the amount of plaque and the incidence of gingivitis when compared to tooth brushing alone. Although there is some evidence that after tooth brushing with a conventional tooth brush, interdental brushes remove more plaque than dental floss, a systematic review reported insufficient evidence to determine such an association.
The size of interdental brushes is standardized in ISO 16409.ISO 16409:2006 + Amd.1:2010, Dentistry – Oral hygiene products – Manual interdental brushesISO/DIS 16409:2014, Dentistry – Oral hygiene products – Manual interdental brushes (draft standard) The brush size,Different versions of the standard specify different brush sizes. which is a number between 0 (small space between teeth) and 8 (large space), indicates the passage hole diameter. This corresponds to the space between two teeth that is just sufficient for the brush to go through without bending the wire. The color of the brushes differs between producers. The same is the case with respect to the wire diameter.Neither the brush color nor the wire diameter are specified in ISO 16409:2010 or ISO/DIS 16409:2014. Just some general properties of the wire (e.g., should not bend) or specifications of the packaging (e.g., the brush size must be noted) can be found there.
| +Brush size according to ISO 16409 |
It is advisable to rinse the toothbrush with water, shake it off and let dry after use.
Studies have shown that brushing to remove dental plaque more often than every 48 hours is enough to maintain gum and tooth health. Tooth brushing can remove plaque up to one millimeter below the gum line. Each person has a habitual brushing method, so more frequent brushing does not cover additional parts of the teeth or mouth. Most dentists recommended patients brush twice a day in the hope that frequent brushing would clean more areas of the mouth. Tooth brushing is the most common preventive healthcare activity, but tooth and gum disease remain high, since lay people clean at most 40% of their tooth margins at the gum line. Videos show that even when asked to brush their best, they do not know how to clean effectively.
It is beneficial when using a straight bristled brush: not to scrub horizontally over the necks of teeth; not to press the brush too hard against the teeth, to choose a toothpaste that is not too abrasive; and to wait at least 30 minutes after consumption of acidic food or drinks before brushing. "It is concluded that keeping tooth unbrushed for at least 30 min after an erosive attack is necessary for protecting dentin" Harder toothbrushes reduce plaque more efficiently but are more stressful to teeth and gum; using a medium to soft brush for a longer cleaning time was rated to be the best compromise between cleaning result and gum and tooth health.
A study by University College London found that advice on brushing technique and frequency given by 10 national dental associations, toothpaste and toothbrush companies, and in dental textbooks was inconsistent.
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