Greeting
How has the toothbrush changed through history?
The first toothbrush artifact was a gold toothpick type object which is considered to be from about 3000 B.C.. It was found in a tomb during the Uru dynasty in two rows on an ivory stick which is considered to be a model of a today's toothbrush was found. The first Japanese toothbrush was invented in 1872. It was based on an English toothbrush imported from India. The grip on this model was made from whalebone and the brush from horse hair. It was a straight type called "a whale toothpick" which became the design for today's toothbrush. Recently, toothbrushes with a transparent, frexsible grip, small head and thin edged brush are popular. Also more people are using electric toothbrushes to get better results in polishing their teeth. But the shape of the toothbrush has not changed since 1872 nor since 3000 B.C.
How the T-shaped toothbrush was born.
As a school dentist at Hiroshima City Niho Elementary School, I was asked to promote tooth brushing to the second and fifth graders. That was the very first motivation for this invention.
In the student's dental files I received at school, I found very complicated brushing methods, like using heal-toe, sides of the brush; everyone was recommended to use the tip of the brush. Brushing teeth vertically was among the various recommended ways of brushing for children. This especially caught my eye because it is rather hard to brush the front teeth vertically with an I-shaped toothbrush. As I expected, it was hard for the pupils to learn the new method of brushing that day. So, I eventually told them to brush their teeth the way that's easiest for them. I felt it was very difficult to teach them the new way of brushing using an ordinary toothbrush.
I-shaped to T-shaped
The most difficult problem was brushing the front teeth vertically, so the T-shaped toothbrush was born. The change was quite simple. I just twisted the head horizontally. It allowed for dramatically easier brushing on the front teeth. Also, the back molars, bumps on top of the teeth, and hard to reach parts can be brushed well. The T-shaped toothbrush works much better than I expected it would. When it was being developed, my patients and friends tried samples in my office. The reaction was very positive and also I got the same feedback from Seiki Shinohara's dental office in Onomichi. He well understands the quality of my T-shaped toothbrush and he himself invented a toothbrush which has been on the market for 25 years named the Jupitide for the elderly and the disabled.
"Bonika" the new age toothbrush,"Yokoyama-kun" for infants.
A president of a toothbrush company in Osaka has given great attention to this T-shaped toothbrush and it has begun full production of it. The dome-shaped brush is unique and the thick grip allows easy holding and control. "Bonika" looks beautiful and it impresses people who use it. "Bonika" is one of the great dental inventions of the past 131 years. It is a revolutionaly toothbrush. I am sure that you will love this new toothbrush. I wish you peaceful brushing from Hiroshima-the city of peace.
