The toothbrush industry revolves around the fact that it has a high demand for plastic materials that make up the key components of a single toothbrush and as a result, increases the demand for petroleum in the market as an affordable raw material in the manufacturing of plastic products.
Petroleum is the key ingredient of plastic and it is currently the most prevalent material today, aside from just providing fuel for transportation and energy, it also makes up for the bulk of commodities with the highest demand in the manufacturing and materials industry, including fertilizers, alcohol, synthetic rubbers, synthetic fibers, pesticides, paint, wax-you name it.Toothbrushes are among the top-selling household items out in the market, and the most practical material that is used to make the lowly toothbrush is plastic since it still remains as the most practical and affordable material to make it appeal to the masses.
Historically, the toothbrush was not made of plastic nor made from oil, but spans a long story dating back to thousands of years ago, even before plastics came into existence.The evolution of the toothbrush traces its origins back to as early as 3500 BC when the Babylonians were using sticks, which served as a toothpick to clean the teeth and mouth.
It later evolved to a chewstick, somewhat resembling a pencil which is made of a twig, which is continually chewed and becomes softened at the end and would resemble a brush, which could then be used to wipe the surface of the teeth while the other end is sharpened to pick food debris lodged in between the teeth.
Around 1600 BC, the Chinese used a similar process to clean teeth using chewsticks that were made made up of twigs from aromatic trees that will not only clean the teeth, but will also freshen breath.
The first bristled toothbrush did originate from China around 1600 AD, and around 1780, the first toothbrush was invented by an Englishman named William Addis, carving the handles from cattle bone and natural bristles were obtained from hair taken from the neck and shoulder of swine, particularly those sourced from pigs living in the colder upland areas of China and in Siberia.
The bristled brushes became popular in Europe and Japan in the 1800′s and in 1857, an American named HN Wadsworth patented the first toothbrush and established a market in the United States. The first toothbrush was made by hand back in 1844 a d was patented as a three-row brush by Dr. Meyer Rhein, who later partnered with the Florence Manufacturing Company of Massachusetts to mass-produce the toothbrush for mass marketing in the United States.
In the early 1900′s, with the introduction of petroleum-based products including plastics, synthetic bristles made of nylon took the place of swine hair.
But even when the American market was the forerunner of the toothbrush market, Americans still did not have the penchant for using their new-found oral hygiene discovery.
It was only after the second World War that the practical use of the toothbrush caught on when soldiers returning from the war in Europe took on the habit of reinforcing oral hygiene by using the toothbrush as an everyday item.
Toothbrushes are a common everyday item today and the only way that made it affordable for everyone to use is that toothbrushes are made from oil, since it is made out of plastic and until a much cheaper alternative is discovered to make it more affordable, plastic will remain to be the material of choice.
Steven Merusi writes about laser tooth whitening los angeles and cosmetic dentistry los angeles
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