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So, when did people really start with this whole clean, shiney, teeth thing? Well, the earliest known teeth-cleaning devices,dated back to 3500BC, were called "chewingsticks"and was used by the Babylonians. However, the first real bristled toothbrushes originated in China and didn't show up untill the 1600's!

Did you think that toothbrushes were always constructed of tiny flawless nylon bristles and perfectly smooth plastic handles? In actuality, for the better part of the 1700's and 1800's the general public was brushing with hairs plucked off the necks and shoulders of pigs. The handles were made of cattle bone and the pig's hairs were placed in tiny drilled holes at the end of the cattle bone, fastened with wires.

Today, we brush our teeth with toothbrushes born from only the most elite scientist. "High-speed" technology is being used to engineer the most desirable shapes, colors, and textures for toothbrushes that will not only clean our teeth but make our mouths happy.

(The pictures above are of the OralB Advantage toothbrush. The blue bristles are indicator bristles, when they fade half way down the shaft to white your supposed to buy a new toothbrush. You can check out used toothbrush images here!)

~S. Fessler

http://www.toothbrushexpress.com/html/toothbrush_history.html