Short answer
Who invented the toothbrush? The bristle toothbrush was invented in China, where hog bristles were set into handles of bone or bamboo. The first mass-produced toothbrush came from William Addis, an Englishman who, according to the usual story, made his prototype around 1780 while in prison. His company still exists.
Key takeaways
- Before toothbrushes, people cleaned their teeth with chew sticks: twigs with a frayed end, used since around 3000 BC.
- The bristle toothbrush was invented in China, with hog bristles set in bone or bamboo handles; sources date it anywhere from the Tang dynasty to 1498.
- William Addis made the first mass-produced toothbrush in England around 1780, reportedly while in prison.
- The first American toothbrush patent went to H. N. Wadsworth in 1857.
- Nylon bristles replaced animal hair in 1938, and electric toothbrushes followed in the 1950s and 1960s.
People have always tried to keep their teeth clean. What changed over the centuries was the tool, and the story of how the toothbrush reached its modern form includes ancient twigs, Chinese craftsmen, a London prison and an American chemistry lab.
Chew sticks
The earliest tool was the chew stick: a thin twig chewed at one end until the fibers frayed into a kind of brush. Chew sticks were used from around 3000 BC, and they remain in wide use in some cultures today. They were simple, cheap and, for many people, effective enough.
The Chinese bristle brush
The toothbrush with bristles set at a right angle to a handle, the basic design we still use, appears to have been invented in China. The earliest models had handles of bamboo or bone and bristles of hog hair.
When this happened is less clear. The Library of Congress gives 1498, and many sources repeat that date. Other historians place the invention during the Tang dynasty, between 618 and 907. Both agree on the place and the materials; the gap between them is a reminder of how uncertain the early history of ordinary objects can be.
William Addis and the prison story
The modern toothbrush industry begins with William Addis, an English entrepreneur who was imprisoned in 1780, reportedly on charges related to a riot. The story goes that he carved a handle from cattle bone, made rows of small holes in the top and set tufts of hog’s hair into them.
After his release, Addis began making toothbrushes commercially, and he is credited as the first person to mass-produce them. His business survived for more than two centuries; its toothbrushes are still made today under the Wisdom name.
The prison detail is part of the legend, and accounts of exactly how he made the first brush vary. What is well documented is the business he built.
The toothbrush in America
On November 7, 1857, H. N. Wadsworth, a dentist in Washington, D.C., received the first American patent for a toothbrush. Mass production in the United States began around 1885.
Nylon changes everything
In 1938, the chemical company DuPont introduced nylon bristles, and the first nylon toothbrush, sold as Doctor West’s Miracle Toothbrush, appeared the same year. Nylon replaced the boar bristles that brushes had used until then.
The Second World War helped the habit spread. Soldiers were trained in disciplined daily hygiene, and they brought the habit of regular brushing home with them.
Electric brushes
Electric toothbrushes arrived after the war. A Swiss design called the Broxodent was introduced in 1954, and in 1960 the company Squibb marketed it in the United States, one of the first electric toothbrushes on the American market.
From twig to nylon
| When | Tool | Material |
|---|---|---|
| From around 3000 BC | Chew stick | A twig with a frayed end |
| Tang dynasty or 1498, China | Bristle brush | Hog bristles in bone or bamboo |
| Around 1780, England | Mass-produced brush | Bone handle, animal bristles |
| 1938 | Modern toothbrush | Nylon bristles |
| 1954 to 1960 | Electric toothbrush | Motorized head |
What the story tells us
The toothbrush shows how long an object can stay almost the same. The Chinese design of bristles set at a right angle to a handle has hardly changed in five centuries or more. What changed were the materials and, above all, the habit, which spread widely only in the 20th century.
The zipper took a much shorter and stranger path to the form we use today. See Who Invented the Zipper?, or browse Everyday Objects.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented the first toothbrush?
The bristle toothbrush was invented in China, with hog bristles set in bone or bamboo handles. William Addis made the first mass-produced toothbrush in England around 1780.
What did people use before toothbrushes?
Chew sticks, twigs chewed at one end until they frayed into a brush, used from around 3000 BC and still common in some cultures.
Did William Addis really invent the toothbrush in prison?
That is the usual story: he was imprisoned in 1780 and is said to have made his first brush there. What is documented is that he built the first business to mass-produce toothbrushes.
When did toothbrushes get nylon bristles?
In 1938, when DuPont introduced nylon bristles.
Sources
- Library of Congress, Who invented the toothbrush and when was it invented?, accessed October 9, 2026
- Greg Daugherty, How Humans Took Care of Their Teeth Through History, HISTORY, accessed October 9, 2026
- Dennemeyer, Everyday IP: Brushing up: When were toothbrushes invented?, accessed October 9, 2026