Toothbrush History

Brushing teeth, a common activity today, has been around for a long time. The early history and
evolution of the toothbrush has its origin in the "chewing sticks" used by the Babylonians as
early as 3500 BC.

Ancient Greek and Roman literature even discusses primitive toothpicks that were chewed on
to help clean the teeth and mouth.

As the years passed, toothpicks matured into the chew stick which was about the size of a
modern pencil. One end was chewed into and became softened and brush-like while the
opposite end was pointed and used as a pick to clean food and debris from between the teeth.
The twigs used were carefully chosen from aromatic trees that had the ability to clean and
freshen the mouth. The earliest literature showing the use of these twigs is found in Chinese
literature at around 1600 BC.
The toothbrush was first invented by the Chinese in the XVth century and brought back to
Europe by travellers.

This toothbrush was made of hairs from the neck of a Siberian wild boar which were fixed to a
bamboo or bone handle. The people, however, found the wild boar hairs too stiff.

At the time, very few people in the Western world brushed their teeth, and those who did
preferred horse hairs, which were softer than those of the wild boar!

In Europe, it was more customary after meals to use a goose feather toothpick, or one made of
silver or copper. Other animals’ hair was also used for dental care, right up until this century.

French dentists, promoted the European use of toothbrushes in the seventeenth and early
eighteenth centuries. The first toothbrush mass-produced was made by William Addis of
Clerkenwald, England. Addis, and later, his descendants, manufactured the finest English
brushes, where the handles were carved out of the bone of cattle and the heads of the natural
bristles were placed in the bored holes made in the bone and kept in place by thin wire. The
natural bristles were obtained from the necks and shoulders of swine, especially from pigs
living in colder climates like Siberia and China.
The first American to patent a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth in 1857. Companies began to
mass-produce toothbrushes in America around 1885. The first real electric toothbrush was
produced in 1939, developed in Switzerland. The first rotary action electrical toothbrush for
home use was introduced in 1987. Today the brands, types, and colours of toothbrushes on the
market are almost endless. In spite of this, certain African and American populations still use
tree branches to care for their teeth!

I. Comprehension check. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the early history and evolution of the toothbrush?
. The early history and evolution of the toothbrush has its origin in the
"chewing sticks" used by the Babylonians as early as 3500 BC
2. What primitive toothbrushes were recorded in Ancient Greek and Roman
literature?
discusses primitive toothpicks that were chewed on to help clean the teeth and
mouth
3. How did the primitive toothbrushes look like?
chew stick which was about the size of a modern pencil. One end was chewed into
and became softened and brush-like while the opposite end was pointed and used as
a pick to clean food and debris from between the teeth
4. What were the twigs used for?
The twigs used were carefully chosen from aromatic trees that had the ability
to clean and freshen the mouth.
5. When was the first toothbrush invented?
The toothbrush was first invented by the Chinese in the XVth century and brought
back to Europe by travellers.
6. What was the first toothbrush made of?
This toothbrush was made of hairs from the neck of a Siberian wild boar which
were fixed to a bamboo or bone handle.
7. What animals` hair was used to make toothbrushes?
Wild boar , horse hair , pigs
8. When did French dentists start to promote the European use of toothbrushes?
French dentists, promoted the European use of toothbrushes in the seventeenth
and early eighteenth centuries
9. What were the finest English brushes made of?
where the handles were carved out of the bone of cattle and the heads of the
natural bristles were placed in the bored holes made in the bone and kept in place
by thin wire.
10. When was the first American toothbrush patented?
The first American to patent a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth in 1857.
11. When was the real electric toothbrush produced?
The first real electric toothbrush was produced in 1939, developed in Switzerland.
II. Match the words with their definitions: toothbrush, bristle, toothpick
1. toothpick a small pointed piece of wood, plastic, etc., for removing
substances, especially food particles, from between the teeth.
2. Bristle one of the short, stiff, coarse hairs of certain animals, especially
 hogs, used extensively in making brushes.
3. Toothbrush a small brush  with a long handle, for cleaning the teeth.
III. Find in the article equivalents of the following words:
residue - debris
branch - twig
firm - stif
habitual - customary
to chip – to carve
to refresh - freshen
countless – endless

IV. What requirements must a toothbrush meet? Speak about the

toothbrush bristle, handle, size.
Disclosing tablets
Tooth brushing should be carried out twice a day.
Tooth brushing takes full two minutes.
Toothbrush with a small heah , and medium texture bristles , with a small
amount of floride toothpaste.
Start by tilting toothbrush against your teeth.
The bristle are at a 45 degree angle to the gum line.
Move the brush in small circular movements, a few times on each tooth.
To clean the inside surfaces tilt the brush vertically .
Spit out the tooth paste.
Flossing is an important oral hygiene habit. It cleans and dislodges food
stuck between your teeth, which reduces the amount of bacteria and plaque
in your mouth. Plaque is a sticky film that builds up on teeth and
contributes to cavities and gum disease.
1. Break off a string about 18 to 24 inches of dental floss. To hold the floss
correctly, wind most of the floss around both of your middle fingers. Leave
only about 1 to 2 inches of floss for your teeth.
2. Next, hold the floss taut with your thumbs and index fingers.
3. Place the dental floss in between two teeth. Gently glide the floss up and
down, rubbing it against both sides of each tooth. Don’t glide the floss into
your gums. This can scratch or bruise your gums.
4. As the floss reaches your gums, curve the floss at the base of the tooth to form
a C shape. This allows the floss to enter the space between your gums and you
Preventive dental care is key to keeping your teeth healthy throughout the
course of your life. But it goes beyond that. Good oral health can impact
your general health, as well. What is preventive dentistry, what are the
benefits, and what kind of dental plan covers you for preventive care?

What is preventive dentistry?

Preventive dentistry is dental care that helps maintain good oral health. It’s
a combination of regular dental check-ups along with developing good
habits like brushing and flossing. Taking care of your teeth starts early in
childhood and extends throughout the course of your life.

Vorbit tooth brushing , oral hygiene

Pe marți: Un dialog : pacient la doctor igienist
P 266 ex 3,4,7

3.p266.
1.
1. Prevention in denetrystry involves various methods : advices about oral
hygiene , regula check-ups , treatment to prevnt the disease.
2.Pacients shoul be explaine hou caries can be prevented.
3. The correctness of brushing can be checked by colouring the plaque
with a special dye.
4. The pacient must see himself if he is brushing his teeth correctly.
5. If the toot brush is not available , you need at leats to eat an apple or to
rinse the mouth.
6.Brushing is not effective after meals , if you have snack betweet meals.
7. Pacient should be convinced in the need to examine the condition of the
oral cavity on a regular basis twice a year.
8. This will help to diagnose the diseases of the mouth at an early stage.
9.Early treatment enables to maintain the teeth through life.

At the hygienist
Seven year old boy at Hydgienist
M- Good morning doctor
D- good morning Mark , nice to see you . Have a seat please.
M – what will we do today ?
D – Your mom told me you don’t like to clean you teeth .
M- yes , it is boring.
D- sometime it is , but I will show you why you should do it .
 Take this tablet , it is called disclosing tablet . Put it between your teeth and
crush , after mixt the particle with your saliva so that it will cover the
surfaces in a beautiful colour.
M- I have pink teeth .
D- yes they coloured light pink , because you have plaque on them .
Between your teeth the colour is darker , also you can see it at the gum
line. If you not clean your teeth properly , bad bacterias will from the
plaque will destroy your teeth , caries will occur , so they will be black an
painful.
M- why bacteria’s appear?
D- we have bacteria in our mouth witch eat the particles of food , and
eliminate aecidium . You should brush your teeth correct after every meal ,
with brush and floss . If brushing is not possible , eat a raw vegetable like
carrot , celery , or an apple , or rinse youth mouth with water.
M- mom told me not to eat much sweet food
1. D – yes ,she is right sweets are not good for our teeth .After meal you should
use a floss first .
Wrap a piece of string of 18 inches around the two middle fingers , so the
part between fingers will be 3 inches.
M- like this ?
D – yes , know Put the floos betweet your teeth very gentle , until the floss
meets the gum line. Slide the floss gently between the gum and the tooth.
Rub the floss along the surface of the tooth with a gentle up and down movement.
This should be continued until the back of the last tooth is reached.
For every surface of tooh you should take another part of floss.
Great job Mark.
Now take this mouth mulage and a tooth brush , and tell me how you will clean
your teeth.
M- I rinse my tooth brush in water and after take some toothpaste with peach taste.
D- doyou know how much toothpaste you need?
M- yes , to cover the brush
D- actually that’s not correct , we don’t need that much , remember that we should
take a small amout of paste , like a small pea.After you tilt the toothbrush against
your teeth.. The bristle are at a 45 degree angle to the gum line.
Move the brush in small circular movements, a few times on each tooth.
To clean the inside surfaces tilt the brush vertically .Then you are done spit out the
tooth paste ,and don’ rinse with water , because phosphate from the paste will
action better if it is not removed.
You understand ?
M- yes doctor
D- Promise me that now you will take care of your teeth.
M – I promise. Good bye.

Ex 3 , 4, 5 p 270 , 9 p 271 text diet.

5 p 270
1. the dentist can explain the causes and prevention of dental disease to
individual patients in his surgery
2.Pregnant women and children are the group are most in need of
advice on dental care.
3.Children must accept the dental surgery as a place of interest and
soon become regular and cooperative patients themselves.
4.Teenagers must realize the ways of improving appearance by regular
visits to the dentist for dental health.
5. The entire population needs to be shown how to maintain good
health by dietary discipline , strict oral hygiene and regular dental
inspection.
9.271
1. the dentist should explain to his pacients the causes of the disease
and how to avoid it .
2. However is required a whole range of efforts to ensure that this
information reaches the population.
3. More attention should be paid to groups which need special dental
care: pregnant women, weaker mothers , schoolchildren , elderly
people.
4. If child is interested in surgery , in the future he will become a
permanent pacient.
5. There are many visual aids that tell about the prevention of dental
diseases , but the are not available to everyone.
6. Everyone should know how to maintain the mouth healthy.