The first recorded use of a toothbrush involved a frayed twig
Ancient civilizations maintained oral hygiene using chew sticks, which were simple twigs with frayed ends designed to scrub teeth and freshen breath thousands of years before the modern toothbrush was invented.
Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians used chew sticks as early as 3500 BCE to clean their teeth. These early dental tools were made by taking a twig from a tree—often the Salvadora persica or neem tree—and fraying one end until it became a soft, fibrous brush.
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