Hyson John M
Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry, USA.
J Hist Dent. 2003 Jul;51(2):73-80.
Civilized people have always used some type of instrument to clean and preserve their teeth. The first known instrument was a toothstick, referred to as a toothpick, woodmop, twigbrush, miswak, or siwak. Ancient Roman patricians employed special slaves to clean their teeth. The Chinese probably invented the bristle brush. French dentists, who were the most advanced in Europe, advocated the use of toothbrushes in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Still the toothbrush is a relative modern invention. Today, toothbrushes come in a variety of shapes and sizes with more choices than ever.
文明人一直使用某种工具来清洁和保护牙齿。已知的第一种工具是牙棒，也被称为牙签、木拖把、树枝刷、牙刷或希瓦克。古罗马贵族雇佣特殊的奴隶来清洁他们的牙齿。中国人可能发明了鬃毛牙刷。在欧洲最先进的法国牙医在17世纪和18世纪早期提倡使用牙刷。然而，牙刷仍是一项相对现代的发明。如今，牙刷有各种各样的形状和尺寸，可供选择的比以往任何时候都多。
