What is Toothbrush?
[[File:Toothbrush BNC.jpg|thumb|A common toothbrush.]] [[Image:Toothbrush-20060209.JPG|thumb|Three [[plastic]] toothbrushes in a [[cup]]]] The '''toothbrush''' is a tool to [[hygiene|clean]] [[tooth|teeth]]. The toothbrush has a small [[brush]] at the end of a handle. [[Toothpaste]], which often contains [[fluoride]], is commonly added to a toothbrush to help clean the teeth. Both toothpaste and toothbrushes come in many different colours. Toothpastes can also come in many different flavours. Nice toothbrushes (especially electrical) can make toothbrushing fun and help your child on the way to perfect oral health. == Invention == Toothbrushes were first invented by a [[prisoner]]. Before anyone had thought of a toothbrush, people kept their teeth clean by chewing on a stick until one end got soft and frayed like a brush. Sometimes they dipped a finger in [[chalk]] or [[salt]] and then rubbed their teeth. [[Toothpick]]s were another way to take care of teeth, and toothpicks were very fancy then. They were made of [[gold]] or [[jewel]]s, and people would stick them in their [[hat]]s or hang them on [[necklace]]s when they were not using them. The first brushes came from [[China]], where the Chinese made them out of [[hair]]s pulled from the back of wild [[pig|hog]]s. The kind of toothbrush we know came from William Addis. He worked on the toothbrush while he was in [[jail]]. First, he saved a [[bone]] from one of his meals and poked some holes in it. The prison guard gave him some [[bristle]]s. Joseph tied the bristles into little bundles, cut them to make them even, put glue on the ends, and stuffed them into the holes.<ref>Radius toothbrush, Joseph Addis</ref> The company he started still make millions of toothbrushes every year. ==Etymology== The word toothbrush came from the two parts of the word, first a noun and then a verb or noun. The action of brushing teeth with a toothbrush is basically the use of the invention of Joseph Addis. ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Tools]] [[Category:Dentistry]] [