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After Addis created his own update to the toothbrush, it simply escalated. "In 1937, nylon was created in the Du Pont laboratories by Wallace H. Carothers." (Blain) This discovery has forever changed the toothbrush as well as other devices requiring fibrous material. Even after this break through, it wasn't till have World War 2 that Americans started to take dental hygiene more seriously. Because of this, people continued to improve and better the toothbrush. .
Another part of dental hygiene that should be brought up is toothpaste. Around 5000 BC, the Egyptians are believed to have started using a paste to clean their teeth. "Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have used toothpastes, and people in China and India first used toothpaste around 500BC." (History) The earliest pastes were made to treat similar concerns that we have today: fresh breath, whitening, keeping teeth clean, etc. However, the ingredients were very strange and different. .
Powder of ox hooves', pumice, and burnt ashes were just a few of the ingredients used. The Romans and Greeks preferred oyster shells, crushed bones, powdered charcoal, and bark. The Chinese generally used more herbal materials such as salt and mints. More modern toothpastes started to develop during the 1800's. "Early versions contained soap and in the 1850s chalk was included. Betel nut was included in toothpaste in England in the 1800s" (History) The 1850's brought a change of texture: powders turned to paste. Crème Dentifrice and Colgate developed and started producing toothpaste in jars and tubes. .
After 1945, soap was no longer an ingredient. It was replaced with other items such as sodium lauryl sulphate. During the second half of the 20th century, toothpastes were developed to treat conditions and diseases. We have made much advancement in today's paste and will continue to improve it. "The most recent advances in toothpastes have included the development of whitening toothpastes, and toothpaste containing Triclosan which provides extra protection against caries, gum disease, plaque, calculus and bad breath.
