William Addis invented the toothbrush while in prison; he made it out of cow bone and pig bristles.

 William Addis invented the toothbrush while in prison; he made it out of cow bone and pig bristles.

Do you remember the first time you learned to brush your teeth?

It seems like a simple thing to do, but you’ll be shocked to know that a lot of people still make mistakes when brushing their teeth.

What’s even more shocking is the idea of how people cleaned their teeth when toothbrushes still didn’t exist.

With that said, here are 10 facts about brushing your teeth to feed your curiosity!

o you ever think about your toothbrush? You use it twice a day, but how much do you know about it? We’ve compiled a list of interesting toothbrush facts. The next time you are brushing for a full two minutes, consider these bits of trivia. 

1. Toothbrushes Are Less Common Than Mobile Devices 

It is estimated that more people own and use a mobile device than those who own and use a toothbrush. With nearly 8 billion mobile devices, the world has more mobile phones, tablets, and other gear than people. However, only 3.5 billion people are estimated to use a toothbrush. 

2. Where Did It Come From? 

It is believed that the first modern toothbrush was invented by a prisoner in England. Sometime around 1780, William Addis created a toothbrush from bone and used swine bristle for the brush.  

3. A Long History 

Long before Mr. Addis invented what we know as the toothbrush, ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Chinese crafted tools for cleaning their teeth. The ancient Chinese used “chewing sticks” to freshen their breaths as early as 1600BC. 

4.  What are the bristles made from? 

Originally, toothbrush bristles were primarily made from cow hairs or boar hair. Today, nylon is the material of choice, and has been since the 1930s. 

5. What Color Is Your Toothbrush? 

Blue is the most common toothbrush color. The second most common color is red. 

6. A Home for Bacteria 

More than 100 million bacteria call your toothbrush home. You don’t get sick regularly because, like your toothbrush, your mouth is home to hundreds of millions of bacteria. Your body is usually effective at fighting off these germs, but if you don’t change your toothbrush regularly or share with someone else, you might catch an illness.