William Addis of England invented the first mass-produced toothbrush. While in prison, he drilled small holes in a cattle bone, tied swine fibers (from wild pigs) in bunches, passed them through the holes and then glued them.

When did people start brushing their teeth?

The first toothbrush was likely developed around 3000 BCE. This was a frayed twig developed by the Babylonians and the Egyptians. Other sources have found that around 1600 BCE, the Chinese created sticks from aromatic trees' twigs to help freshen their breath.

Who invented the toothbrush and why?

The first mass-produced toothbrush was made by William Addis of Clerkenwald, England, around 1780. The first American to patent a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth, (patent number 18,653,) on Nov. 7, 1857.