The toothbrush is one of the most important tools you use to care and clean your teeth, but did you know that the ancient Egyptians were the first to invent the toothbrush and had ways of taking care of oral and dental health, in this report we learn about the history of dentistry and oral care methods in the era of the pharaohs.

Toothbrush
According to the brush website, the tools used to clean the teeth date back to about 3500 – 3000 BC when the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians used tree branches with which they cleaned food residues with their teeth.

Teeth of the ancient Egyptians

The researchers found several ancient Egyptian tombs that contained a toothpick that was apparently used to clean the teeth of leftover food.

Scientists discovered that many of the tree branches used to clean the teeth were made of aromatic tree branches that make the breath smell good and at the same time work to remove plaque and food particles.

While the Chinese invented the first natural toothbrush made of boar bristles during the 15th century, these bristles were then attached to a bamboo or bone handle to create a strong grip for the user to brush their teeth.

Teeth of the ancient Egyptians

And when this brush was brought from China to Europe, the design was changed slightly to use horse hair instead of pigs.

The first toothpaste

It was believed that the ancient Egyptians first used toothpaste around 5000 BC by combining a mixture of bull’s hooves, pumice stone and eggshell.

The purpose of these toothpastes was to keep the gums and teeth clean while maintaining proper oral health.

The Greeks and Romans had more abrasive toothpastes and preferred to use oyster shells and crushed bones together to form a fine powder that melted when placed in the mouth.

Before 1850 every toothpaste available in the market was in powder form, and during the 1890s, they began putting toothpaste in tubes very similar to what you see on store shelves today.

The first toothbrush in its current form

While the twigs used by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks could be considered manual brushing, the first hand brushes of the modern type were not invented until 1780 by a man from England named William Addis.

Teeth of the ancient Egyptians

The brush is designed to have a curved handle made of bone and boar bristles.

In 1844 the first three-row toothbrushes were designed with pig and horse bristles before the invention of nylon, as many ancient toothbrushes that can be found in historical museums are seen to have animal bristles of some kind.
History of Dentistry in Pharaonic Egypt
Historiecalve reported that the pharaohs treated dental diseases using various tools such as bone saws, hard scales, chisels and other variety of dental tools.

Among the diseases that were spreading at the time among the ancient Egyptians were tooth decay, receding gums and bleeding.

According to historical results, Pharaonic Egypt is the first to start dentistry.

Calendar
The ancient Egyptians had a common way to treat teeth, especially molars, where they used tendons to unite asymmetrical teeth, so they were the first to invent orthodontics.