### id228277268 the bristle toothbrush was made from Chinese hog hair > The first bristle toothbrush was invented by the Chinese during the Tang Dynasty (619-907) and was most likely made from the coarse hairs of the cold-climate hog. Hogs living in Siberia and Northern China grew very stiff hair in response to the harsh climate, yielding a sturdy bristle material. Bristles were inserted into tiny holes made in bone or bamboo. The use of the instrument to clean teeth by Northern Chinese monks was documented in writing in 1223 by Dōgen Kigen, a Japanese Zen master traveling in China. - [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ffv2svr91vgpqg8swcmejnt4) - [[the sordid history of the toothbrush via the museum of everyday life#id228277268 the bristle toothbrush was made from Chinese hog hair|View in Vault]]