Toothbrush

Hello there. My name is Toothbrush, and I'm so happy to meet you. Before I was around, keeping teeth clean was a bit tricky. Imagine trying to brush your teeth with a twig from a tree or a little rag dipped in chalk. Ouch. That didn't feel very nice, and it certainly didn't get teeth very shiny or clean. People tried their best, but their smiles weren't as sparkly as they could be, and their gums weren't always happy. They needed a helper, someone small and bristly who could get into all the little spaces between teeth and shoo away the pesky sugar bugs. They needed me, but they just didn't know it yet. A new idea was waiting just around the corner to help make every smile bright and healthy.

My story begins a long, long time ago, in the year 1780. My inventor was a man in England named William Addis. Now, William was in a place that wasn't very cheerful. He was in a prison, where the days were long and gloomy. But even in a gloomy place, a bright idea can sparkle. One day, William was watching a guard sweep the stone floor with a big, bristly broom. Swish, swish, swish went the broom, clearing away all the dust. An amazing thought popped into his head. He thought, “If a big broom can clean a floor, maybe a tiny broom could clean teeth.” He decided to try it. He found a small animal bone left over from his dinner and carefully made tiny holes in it. Then, he got some stiff bristles from a friendly guard, tied them into little bunches, and pushed them into the holes, gluing them tight. And just like that, the very first version of me was born. I might have looked a little different, but I was ready to get to work.

When William Addis finally got out of prison, he didn't forget about me. He knew I could help so many people. He started a whole company just to make more of me. Soon, little toothbrushes like me were traveling to homes all over the country. I wasn't always the same, though. I've changed over the years to become even better at my job. For a long time, my bristles were made from animal hair, which could be a little scratchy. But then, in the year 1938, a wonderful thing happened. I got new bristles made from something called nylon. They were much softer and gentler on everyone's gums. Now, I get to live in bathrooms all over the world, in all sorts of fun colors and sizes. Every morning and every night, I get to dance around your teeth, chasing away leftover food and making your smile sparkle. I am so proud that my journey, which started with a simple idea in a gloomy place, now helps you have a healthy, happy smile every single day.