How did people clean their teeth before toothbrushes?
Ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 3000 BC have yielded sticks frayed at the end to floss teeth, and the miswak (chew-stick) has been used in Muslim cultures for centuries. The first bristle brushes appeared in China at the end of the 15th century, but Europe was slow to catch on. Medieval courtiers were urged not to pick their teeth with their knives, but at least most of them were only picking out bits of meat or vegetables. By Tudor times, black teeth were a sign that you could afford sugar – a situation that became more common with the industrial production of sugar from the late 18th century. Legend has it that William Addis came of cattle bone in the 1780s,…
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History Revealed (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2024