A Brief History of the Toothbrush

Today it seems like people shuffle through hundreds of toothbrushes that line the market shelves, hoping that the latest and greatest model will deliver healthy smiles. With the evolution of toothbrushes, cleaning teeth and taking care of gums is simpler than ever – but this wasn’t always the case. Take a look below to learn which techniques and practices helped inventors mold the toothbrush into what it is today.
3500 BC – Egyptians and Babylonians use chewing sticks made from branches of the Salvadora Persica tree. They also used boar bristles attached to a bamboo stick to clean teeth.
1600 BC – In China people start using chew sticks made of plant limbs and roots. One end of the stick was beaten into soft fibers to help scrub and brush teeth. In fact, these types of chewing sticks are still used by some people today.
1498 – Europeans start traveling to China to obtain toothbrushes made of bamboo and hog bristles. This invention quickly caught on in Europe.
1780 – William Addis of Clerkenwald, England introduces the first mass-produced toothbrush in Europe made from cattle bone and swine fibers.
1857 – H.N. Wadsworth becomes the first American to patent a toothbrush.
1885 – Toothbrushes are mass-produced in the US by the Florence Manufacturing Company of Massachusetts.
1938 – Nylon bristles replace bristles made of pig innards.
1960 – The first electric toothbrush is introduced to the US by the Squibb Company. The model was marketed under the name Broxodent.
1987 – The first at-home rotary style toothbrush is introduced to the US by Interplak.

National Childrens Dental Health Month

February is National Children's Dental Health Month.  Any time of the year you can bring your children age 3 and under in for a free happy visit and exam.

New Pano

We just bought a new panorex radiograph unit for office.  It is a Sirona Orthophos XG3.

Here is an image of what it looks like.

Here is an example of the clarity of the image.  From one of our patients.  It's amazing!

It has opened up several more procedures that we can provide for our patients.  In addition to doing more surgical wisdom teeth extractions, this also allows us to start placing implants as well.  Swing on by and take a look at it for yourself.

Happy New Year!

We hope everybody is enjoying the new year.  Coming up in May, we will be having another day of free dentistry.  Visit http://www.parkcitydentistry.com/ or call our office for more details.

Fun Dental Website

http://www.knowyourteeth.com/

Check out this website for some great dental resources.

Maximize Your Benefits!

At this time of the year we like to send a reminder letter to our patients that are fortunate to have dental insurance or HSA accounts. For any treatment that falls under the "major" services heading (crowns, bridges etc...) that process can take 2 to 3 weeks to get back from the lab after the initial appointment. December is our busiest month of the year, so plan your appointment as early as possible in your schedule in order to maximize your insurance or HSA benefits.


Give Lindsay a call and she would be happy to make that appointment for you. If you have any financial concerns regarding your co-payment we have payment options we would love to discuss with you. Call 435-649-4343 to take advantage of your remaining insurance benefits for 2010.

Introducing Our New Hygienist

We would like to introduce the newest member of our team, Becky Smith. She recently moved to Park City by way of San Diego, California, and she will be performing many of the cleanings in our office. She has exceptional hygiene skills and her chair side manner is wonderful. We encourage you to schedule an appointment with her and take advantage of her gentle cleanings. Welcome to Park City Becky!