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January 10, 2014
Q. Most of us probably take toothbrushes and toothpaste (oral dentifrice) pretty much for granted. But have you ever wondered when they got their start and what they were first made out of?
A. Toothbrush No. 1 was likely a twig or finger but the first “real” toothbrush was by businessman William Addis in 1780, made of horsehair and bone, says Holly Oldfield in “The Secret Museum: Some Treasures Are Too Precious to Display.” During World War I, troops were issued toothbrushes, and once they learned these were not for cleaning their boots, many took them home to show their families. Soon the idea caught on, prices plummeted and everybody could afford one. (Some early ones were so expensive they were shared by the entire family.)
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