HOW WAS THE TOOTHBRUSH INVENTED?
I was surprised just recently when we were at a Smithsonian special 17th century Jamestown and Colonial Maryland exhibit “Bones”, regarding how long ago they had toothbrushes–way before I ever expected them. They were very concerned with dental care in the 1600’s, as they were starting to realize that dental disease could be deadly if oral infection spread to other parts of the body. They didn’t do a good job at getting rid of plaque, however, which leads to tooth decay and gum disease. Extraction was generally the only solution then IF they didn’t die… And they wanted whiter teeth, too–nothing’s changed, has it? Recipes of the time for tooth whitening and cleaning were acidic and abrasive, which tended to rub the enamel off the teeth, which then allowed decay to enter. Salt and vinegar were used as abrasives, and other things like tobacco ashes, which were rubbed onto teeth with a cloth. Eeeeuuuuuu…… We also were at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home, where you can see Geo
