The toothbrush is an oral hygiene instrument used to clean the teeth and gums that consists of a head of tightly clustered bristles mounted on a handle, which facilitates the cleansing of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth.
Toothpaste, which often contains fluoride, is commonly used in conjunction with a toothbrush to increase the effectiveness of tooth brushing. Toothbrushes are available with different bristle textures, sizes and forms. Most dentists recommend using a toothbrush labelled "soft", since hard bristled toothbrushes can damage tooth enamel and irritate the gums.[1] The predecessor of the toothbrush, the chew stick, first appeared in Egypt and Babylonia,[2][3] and the earliest bristle toothbrush, the direct predecessor to the modern toothbrush, originated in China.[4] Toothbrushes were introduced to Europe through merchants and travelers in East Asia by the 17th century.[3][5] DuPont introduced the nylon toothbrush in the 1930s.[2]