Dental Factoid
The first toothbrush was invented in China in 1000 A.D. It was an ivory-handled toothbrush with bristles made from a horse's mane. Toothbrushes became popular in the 19th century among the Victorian affluent. Mass marketing and the advent of nylon bristles in the 20th century made toothbrushes inexpensive and available to everyone.
The first toothbrush was invented in China in 1000 A.D. It was an ivory-handled toothbrush with bristles made from a horse's mane. Toothbrushes became popular in the 19th century among the Victorian affluent. Mass marketing and the advent of nylon bristles in the 20th century made toothbrushes inexpensive and available to everyone.
Dental floss today is made up of a variety of materials and comes in many forms - waxed and unwaxed, flavored and unflavored, wide and regular.
Wide floss (also called "dental tape") is often useful for people with a lot of bridge work or wide gaps between their teeth. Waxed floss is known to glide easier between tooth surfaces, and is often preferred by people who have discomfort from floss pushing against the surfaces of their teeth. "Bonded" unwaxed floss does not fray as easily as regular unwaxed floss, but does tear more than waxed floss.
A popular device many patients use is called a "pre-threaded flosser," or "floss holder," which are useful for beginners, caretakers, and people with dexterity problems. While they can be used safely for removing food between teeth, toothpicks should not be used as an alternative to floss. Toothpicks can break off and cut your tender gums and get lodged between teeth.