A toothbrush is an indispensable thing in the daily life of every person, from babies who have just erupted their first tooth to almost toothless old people. This is truly a simple and important attribute, since it helps to cleanse the oral cavity of food debris, plaque, and prevent the growth of bacteria and, accordingly, many dental problems. Such a simple and uncomplicated thing plays such an important role in a person’s life.
Who invented the brush? Who invented it? The answers are not so easy to find, since the issue of oral and dental hygiene was relevant even in ancient times, and even then people somehow adapted to brush their teeth with improvised means. Millennia have passed since those times, the toothbrush has evolved to the one we use, although science has moved on, and brush manufacturing companies do not stop modernizing and improving them.
How did you brush your teeth before using a toothbrush?
People began taking care of their teeth long before our era. Initially, it was a simple bunch of grass, which the ancient inhabitants tried to clean their teeth from leftover food. This device was not very convenient, and also ineffective. Some peoples used wooden sticks, the end of which they chewed to make something like a brush, after which they cleaned their teeth of plaque with this device.
They tried to clean their teeth from food debris with a specially pointed end of a wooden stick (something like a modern toothpick). For this purpose, only those tree species were used that contained essential oils that had not only a pleasant smell, but also antibacterial properties. This historical fact is confirmed by historians who examined the written materials of Ancient Egypt.
Some African aborigines still use toothbrushes that they make themselves from salvadoran branches. In some American countries, white elm branches were used for this purpose. Some peoples did not use such sophisticated devices for cleaning teeth; they chewed resin and beeswax, which, at least a little, removed food debris and plaque.
To increase the effectiveness of primitive toothbrushes, the Drevlyans began to come up with special cleaning powders. In Ancient Egypt, crushed herbs (frankincense, myrrh), eggshells, tree bark and other substances were used for this.
Although such powders cleaned teeth more thoroughly, they were merciless to tooth enamel because they contained too many abrasive particles. The inhabitants of Ancient India solved this issue in their own way - they burned the horns of cattle and used this ashes as a dental cleaning powder.
When was the toothbrush invented?
A device more or less vaguely resembling a modern toothbrush appeared only in 1498. It was invented by the Chinese, who came up with the idea of making a small handle from a bamboo branch and somehow attaching the stiff bristles of a Siberian boar to it. This brush was used without the use of paste or cleaning powder. Each bristle was handpicked - they were taken only from the animal's backbone, where the coarse and hard bristles themselves were located. The principle of attaching the handle to the bristles was also different from the modern one - if now the brush is located parallel to the handle, then it was perpendicular. This invention quickly became popular, and it began to be exported to neighboring countries, including Russia.
In European countries, at first, the toothbrush was not accepted at all, since at that time hygiene of the mouth, as well as the whole body, was not mandatory, so the use of a brush was considered something indecent, blatant and unworthy of an aristocrat. Towards the middle of the seventeenth century, hygiene began to slowly take root in the circles of the aristocracy, and the toothbrush rightfully gained ground.
In European countries, bristles were taken not from the ridge of a boar, but from a horse's tail, but they were considered too soft to fully perform their function. They also did not want to use pig bristles for cleaning teeth, since it could injure the gums and teeth.
Many years have passed since scientists of that time came to the conclusion that the remains of food and plaque that are cleaned with a brush, to one degree or another, remain among the bristles, where pathogenic bacteria then multiply. They suggested boiling the toothbrush after each use, which caused rapid wear of the natural bristles of this tool.
Another fifty years later, when this problem was finally solved, a synthetic material called nylon was invented, which became the starting point for the emergence of modern toothbrushes.
The appearance of the first brushes in Russia
In Russia, the first devices for cleaning teeth appeared during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. A toothbrush entered Russia from China. It was the same bamboo stick with boar bristles attached, but the Russians didn’t really like the stiffness of natural boar bristles, and they began to use hairs from the horse’s tail.
Only some noble nobles used a toothbrush, or, as it was called then, a “toothbroom”, while the rest got along just fine without this device. Poor peasants brushed their teeth with charcoal, often made from birch, which not only helped get rid of plaque, but also perfectly whitened tooth enamel.
When the reins of power passed to Peter I several generations later, he gave the order to stop using a “toothbroom” with natural bristles and replace it with a cloth with a pinch of crushed chalk. This happened at a time when Louis Pasteur suggested that the cause of all diseases lies precisely in the toothbrush, since there is always a humid environment where microorganisms actually multiply, which provoke various diseases. Villagers and servants still used charcoal.
Evolution of the brush - dimensions and characteristics
If in ancient times people cleaned their teeth of food debris with various twigs from trees with pointed or soaked ends, and a little later with a special device made of a wooden stick with an attached tuft of animal bristles, then in our time toothbrushes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials.
It is impossible to select the best among modern brushes, since it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of each person. For some, one brush will be the most practical and functional, but for others it will be too hard and uncomfortable. Fortunately, nowadays there is plenty to choose from.
Modern toothbrushes can be divided into the following types:
- Standard - a classic simple device for cleaning teeth and the oral cavity, which consists of a handle and bristles; it may differ in shape (for children, the width of the bristles on a toothbrush should not exceed 18 millimeters, for adults - 30 mm). This brush should be selected taking into account its main characteristic - the stiffness of the bristles, which can be soft, medium hard or hard.
- Electric – a toothbrush that runs on batteries or a battery. It is distinguished by a small area of bristles, usually round in shape, which rotates and vibrates, thanks to which it efficiently cleans even the most hidden corners of the mouth and teeth.
- Ionic - a device for cleaning teeth is similar in appearance to a regular toothbrush, but has installed batteries, thanks to which the ionization function is activated during brushing. Inside the bristles there is a negatively charged titanium dioxide rod, which, when interacting with water, attracts bacteria and other microorganisms found in dental plaque, and also activates the acidic effect on the microflora.
- Ultrasonic – a brush that uses ultrasound to affect microorganisms in the mouth. It is a type of electric. It perfectly removes any dirt, removes food residues and prevents the formation of tartar.
There are a huge number of different shapes of handles and working parts of toothbrushes, so you can choose exactly the brush that is suitable for a particular person, taking into account the characteristics of his teeth, gums and other factors.
The tufts of the working part of toothbrushes can differ in characteristics - in shape, in length of the bristles, they can be large and short, hard and soft, thin and thick. There are also toothbrushes with silicone bristles along the edges of the working surface for light massage of the gums. Also, toothbrushes can have different sizes and handle shapes, which can be straight, flat, curved, spoon-shaped, medium, large.
Have you ever wondered how long ago the toothbrush and toothpaste appeared? It turns out that these simple everyday things have a long and rich history.
The very first prototype of a toothbrush was a twig of an ethereal tree, sharpened on one side and soaked on the other. The pointed end was used to clean teeth from food debris, the other side was chewed to remove plaque. By the way, in some remote corners of the world, untouched by progress, such sticks are still used.
This is probably what the very first toothbrush in history looked like.
In Ancient Egypt, they also observed oral hygiene. Sticks with loose ends have been found in tombs dating back to around 3000 BC. In addition to dental sticks, they began to use something similar to toothpaste. Ancient Egyptian papyri preserved a recipe for a mixture consisting of wine vinegar, pumice powder and ashes left after burning the entrails of a bull or cow.
The ancient Egyptians took the issue of oral hygiene seriously: there is no evidence of this.
Later, toothbrushes appeared in China. Unlike the ancient Egyptian ones, their tips were made of mint, which not only cleansed the oral cavity, but also freshened the breath. In the 14th century, dental sticks were significantly modernized. They were a bone or bamboo twig with pig bristles attached. Instead of paste, we used ground eggshells, ginseng extract, pine needles and salt.
Toothbrushes began to gain popularity and appeared in many countries.
In Europe, toothpicks made of gold, copper or goose feathers were used, but these were soon replaced by Chinese brushes. However, Europeans preferred horsehair to pig bristles because it was softer. Later, tooth powder appeared in England. It was made from clay fragments, brick powder and porcelain ground into dust; glycerin was added to improve the taste.
Toothbrushes of the 18th century were already quite similar to modern ones, both in appearance and in design.
Toothbrushes have reached Russia. During the reign of Ivan 4, the boyars, after eating, took out their “dental broom” - a stick with a tuft of bristles at the end. Under Peter the Great, the nobility brushed their teeth with crushed chalk, but the common people used birch coals to clean and disinfect the oral cavity.
In 1870, the dental stick received an improved appearance, very close to the modern one. They were all made from the same materials: animal bones and horse hair. Toothpaste also changed, acquiring a paste-like consistency and was sold in tubes.
Toothbrushes got their modern look with the invention of nylon - a flexible, moisture-resistant, durable and affordable material.
Today, the variety and functionality of oral hygiene attributes is enormous - electric, soft, hard, all colors of the rainbow and any size, but it all started with a simple wooden stick.
Olga Blagodarova
Abstract of GCD in the senior group “History of the toothbrush. Dental care"
Description of material: I suggest you abstract direct educational activities for children senior group(5-6 years) on this topic " History of the toothbrush. Dental care" The abstract will be useful for educators senior group.
Summary of GCD in the senior group on the topic: « History of the toothbrush. Dental care».
Integration of educational regions: "Cognition", "Health-saving technologies", "Communication and Socialization", "Reading fiction".
Target: Continue to introduce the rules of personal hygiene, reinforce the rules dental and oral care. Tell about history of the toothbrush. To form a cognitive interest in a person.
Tasks:
Educational: Introduce children to the function and structure of teeth.
Developmental: Develop thinking, gross and fine motor skills, communication skills.
Educational: To promote compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. Cultivate the desire to have beautiful and healthy teeth.
Demo material: Poster "Human hygiene", presentation « History of the toothbrush» .
GCD move:
Educator: Hello guys! Listen to the riddle and tell me what it is about?
Red doors
In my cave,
White animals
At the door.
And meat and bread - all my spoils -
I gladly give it to white animals!
Educator: Here in the big pink cave that people call "oral cavity" There are 2 rows of pearl-white teeth. Tell me, what kind of teeth do little children have? (children's answer).
Educator: Little children have small teeth, they are called milk teeth. They have a more bluish color than permanent ones. Called baby teeth milk "father of medicine" Hippocrates, because they erupt at a time when the child is fed only breast milk and cannot eat solid food. In ancient times, people believed that teeth were formed from milk. Permanent teeth are larger. They have a white-cream color, uniform shine and are arranged in two even rows.
All children have teeth:
Among obedient naughty girls,
In babies and big ones -
What do you know about them?
What are you like?
In a white hard coat,
Our best friends
White teeth.
Educator: Guys, let's look at how a tooth works. Look what tooth? (children's answer)
Educator: On the outside he is white shiny, wearing a beautiful "shirt" made of enamel. Enamel is a thin layer covering the top tooth-crown. Between the crown and the root there is a neck tooth. Root - part tooth, which is located in the jaw. A plant feeds from the root, just as a tooth feeds from the root.
Educator: Why do you think a tooth can hurt? (children's answers)
Educator: A hole in a tooth always hurts. What should you do to avoid a hole in your tooth? (children's answer)
Educator: Tell me, why does a person need teeth? (children's answers)
Educator: That's right, they are needed so that we bite and chew food, but also so that a person can smile dazzlingly and for beautiful speech. Our teeth can be compared to plants in flower pots, where each tooth is fixed in its own bone "potty".
Physical education minute.
Our kids are tired
And everyone stood up from their chairs,
We stretched, we stretched,
We smiled at the sun,
Bent right, left
We quickly went down to the river,
Clear water flows
We know how to wash ourselves
We take toothpaste
Firmly brushing three teeth
Wash your neck, wash your ears
Let's dry ourselves.
Educator: Behind teeth You need to take care of it like flowers. How do you guys take care of yours? teeth? (children's answers)
Educator dental care? (Children's answers)
Educator: Who knows what every person needs to have for dental care? (Children's answers).
Educator: Have you ever been interested in story about a toothbrush? Who came up with its use?
Scurries about Toothbrush,
Like a boat on the sea,
Like a steamboat on a river
By it suits my teeth,
Up and down, back and forth.
We will remove plaque and stains,
So that your teeth don't hurt,
So that they turn white like winter snow.
Likeness toothbrush Ancient people had a bunch of grass with which they rubbed their teeth.
In ancient Egypt they used a wooden stick with chewed "broom" On the one side.
In the 14th century, China came up with the idea of attaching a small number of boar bristles to a bamboo handle. The hardest and most durable bristles were chosen - from the animal’s neck.
Gradually, the fashion for brushing teeth reached Russia. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, they were in use dental"brooms"- chopsticks with a tuft of bristles at the end, they were used after meals.
Look how royal they used to be brushes.
Nowadays they make nylon brushes.
Toothbrush man's best friend. Toothbrush cleans plaque. Brushes are different: hard, medium hard, soft, very soft.
Behind toothbrush needs to be maintained. Best to store toothbrush in a dry and open place, which the bathroom, unfortunately, is not. Recommends to use twice a week toothbrush into mouthwash for 10-15 minutes.
Buy a new one every three months a brush to replace the old one.
Listen to how to brush your teeth properly toothbrush
Every tooth needs to be brushed
Upper tooth, lower tooth,
Even the farthest tooth, -
A very important tooth.
Inside, outside three,
Three outside, inside.
Slide No. 10
To strengthen your teeth, you need to eat dairy products, fish, and chew carrots, apples, and turnips.
Slide No. 11
Now I will introduce you to the rules that you all must know.
You need to brush your teeth twice a day
Use only yours toothbrush
Always rinse your mouth with boiled water after eating
Don't pick at teeth with sharp objects
Don't chew nuts with teeth, sugar, hard candies
Visit your dentist at least twice a year.
Educator: And now I suggest you play a game “What is good and what is bad for teeth”. (Children stand in a circle) If I say that what is good for teeth is clap, then what is harmful is stomp.
If ancient people brushed their teeth, they did it with their fingers or crushed wood slivers. Initially, the finger was rubbed with a special powder, and the remaining food stuck between the teeth was removed with a stick. At the end of the 15th century, the first toothbrush in the form familiar to us was invented and began to be mass-produced in China. Its handle was made of wood, and coarse animal hair was used for bristles. In European countries, the first samples of toothbrushes appeared around the end of the 17th century. Animal bristles were used in the production of toothbrushes until the beginning of the 20th century, and wood for handles even longer.
And only with the invention of plastics and artificial threads, fibers began to be made from synthetics - for example, from nylon, and handles from plastic. There were also attempts to use animal bones for handles, remember the famous company of Ostap Bender - “Horns and Hooves”. It was for toothbrushes that the artel bought horns, hooves and bristles.
Project on the topic: History of the toothbrush: from antiquity to the present day Students of grade 2B of the Stavrovsk secondary school Anastasia Likhacheva
The purpose of the work is to find out when the toothbrush appeared. Find out what people used to brush their teeth in ancient times. Learn the basic rules of dental care.
Every morning we run to brush our teeth. It would seem that a toothbrush is the most ordinary thing in the world. And in 2003, the toothbrush was called the greatest invention of mankind, even more important than a car or a computer.
The first kind of toothbrush was used by ancient people. It was a bunch of grass with which they rubbed their teeth. This is evidenced by marks on the teeth discovered during excavations. We can assume that the history of the toothbrush began with this.
In ancient Egypt they used a wooden stick. One end of it was chewed, removing plaque. The second pointed tip was used as a toothpick. And the Romans even kept special slaves for such a complex task as brushing teeth. It was 3500 BC
The appearance of the first toothbrush similar to the modern one occurs in June 1498. In China, they came up with the idea of attaching a small number of boar bristles to a bamboo handle. The hardest and most durable bristles were chosen - from the animal’s neck.
When the toothbrush arrived in Europe, the Europeans did not really like its appearance and they replaced the bristles with horsehair, and the handles were made of gold, silver, tin, and later plastic.
The toothbrush “reached” Russia under Tsar Peter I. At that time, teeth were cleaned with a “dental broom” - a stick with hard bristles attached to the end. Later, by royal decree, it was ordered to brush your teeth with a cloth and crushed chalk. And in the villages, people brushed their teeth with birch charcoal, which perfectly whitened their teeth.
Later it was proven that bacteria live and multiply in the natural bristles of a toothbrush, which makes the procedure of brushing teeth not at all useful, and even dangerous. The first toothbrush with artificial bristles was released on February 24, 1938. These brushes have become more durable and safer.
I conducted a survey of second grade students at our school. The children were asked to answer the following questions: How many times a day do you brush your teeth? What toothbrush do you use? Conventional or electric 3. Why do you need to brush your teeth? A total of 73 people took part in the survey: 24 students of class 2A, 25 students of class 2B, 24 students of class 2B. Let's look at the survey results.
How many times a day do you brush your teeth?
What toothbrush do you use?
When asked why they should brush their teeth, the guys answered: So that the teeth are white; So that your teeth don't hurt; To avoid going to the dentist; To prevent teeth from falling out; To have something to eat; To keep your breath fresh; To destroy germs. This is all true! We brush our teeth to keep them healthy. After all, the health of the entire body depends on it. So what are the basic rules for dental care?
REMEMBER!!! IT IS IMPORTANT!!!
