The immortal toothbrush

The immortal toothbrush

It is thought that the first toothbrush was a simple bristle-lined stick developed by the Chinese during the Tang Dynasty, while the enlightened Babylonians worked to keep their pearly whites gleaming with chew sticks as far back as 3500 BCE. While toothbrushes came into the marketplace at the end of the 19th century, it was not until the 1930s that the modern toothbrush went from being made of natural materials to mass-produced plastic.

It is fair to say these first toothbrushes will one day be discovered at the bottom of a municipal landfill by a future archeologist.

Unfortunately, over recent decades, more and more of our hygienic tools are not being appropriately disposed of but instead are making their way into the natural environment. As the American Dental Association suggests that we replace our toothbrushes every three months, this equates to nearly one billion toothbrushes being discarded per year in the United States alone.

Product examples:

Here are a few companies and their nature-friendly offerings for your continuing oral hygiene. Currently, the trend for the working end of the toothbrush is either nylon bristles or charcoal-infused bristles made from bamboo. Nylon bristles are often softer and considered to work best to sweep away or capture bacteria found around the gums and teeth. Charcoal bristles, in contrast, are stiffer, but they absorb bacteria on a microscopic level to remove it from the mouth.

Both Isshah and Nuduko offer biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes with eco-friendly BPA-free bristles.

SimpliGOOD offers toothbrushes made from BPA-free, plant-based plastic. Their bristles are nylon, so they conduct their hygienic services more traditionally. Still, the majority of waste with conventional toothbrushes is from the handle.

ME.MotherEarth offers 100% biodegradable bamboo charcoal toothbrushes. The handles are made of renewable bamboo, while the medium-firm bristles are composed of bamboo charcoal fibers. Packaging four toothbrushes together, they also include two glass dispensers of charcoal fiber dental floss, a combination of candelilla wax and peppermint essential oil.

ME.MotherEarth takes its commitment to the environment a step further by donating 10% of its gross profits to environmental conservation.

Lingito offers another charcoal/bamboo toothbrush. With BPA-free soft bristles, the company offers eco-friendly and natural toothbrushes that come numbered and individually packaged. Lingito also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee to ensure your satisfaction.