Toothbrushes, you ask? While it’s true that these plaque-fighting wonders don’t carry the environmental footprints of cars or televisions, you still may want to consider their eco-impacts due to the sheer number of them in circulation.
Americans spend in excess of $600 million on toothbrushes to keep their pearly whites clean[1] and $5 billion is spent globally.[2] Of the more than 300 million people in the US,[3] most (minus babies) own a toothbrush or two. The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months[4]. And whether or not people follow these guidelines—one source says that on average each person in the US buys three toothbrushes every two years[5]—that’s still a huge number of brushing bristles being manufactured and thrown out. In fact, some 50 million pounds of worn out toothbrushes are tossed into landfills annually.[6]
Cleaning chompers through the ages
Today’s toothbrushes, made from plastic molded handles and nylon bristles,[7] have come a long way from the environmentally-friendly but less effective chew sticks (thin twigs with frayed ends) used by ancient civilizations[8] or from nature’s toothbrush, the apple.[9] The bristle toothbrush was invented in China in 1498 and was made with boar bristles, which ruled the dental world, along with other natural materials such as horsehair and even feathers,[7] until Dupont de Nemours introduced nylon bristles in 1938. Electric toothbrushes made their US debut in 1960.[8]
No matter what side you take in the ongoing debate about the cleaning superiority of electric vs. people-powered brushes, manual brushes probably are greener than electric. If you go electric—and for some with arthritis[10] and other hand mobility issues that extra help really is a necessity—[11] a replaceable head electric brush whose batteries are juiced up with a solar charger offers a greener alternative. There are also earth-friendly toothbrushes available to keep your teeth sparkling in eco-style.
External links
- Delta Dental of Minnesota - Fun Dental History Facts
- American Dental Hygienists' Association - Oral Health Information
Footnotes
- Madehow.com - How Products Are Made: Toothbrush Background
- Oral-B - New Oral-B Triumph With SmartGuide Is The First Power Toothbrush to Combine Best-In-Class Brushing With a Wireless Display
- US Census Bureau - US and World Population Clocks: POPClocks
- American Dental Association (ADA) - ADA Statement on Toothbrush Care: Cleaning, Storage and Replacement
- About.com - How Products Are Made: Toothbrush Background
- About.com - Environmental Issues: Can You Recycle Your Toothbrush?
- Colgate World of Care - History of Toothbrushes and Toothpastes
- The Library of Congress - Everyday Mysteries: Who invented the toothbrush and when was it invented?
- North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services - N.C. Apple Facts
- Arthritis Foundation - Dental Care
- British Dental Health Foundation - Dental care for people with special needs
