The cover of this issue of the BDJ shows a World War I kit bag with toothbrush.

'A drilling shop. Boring tooth brush handles.' W. R. Tilbury & Co, Brush Manufacturers, Hackney, London, England. With thanks to BDA Museum.

British troops in WWI were issued with a toothbrush as part of their kit. The kitbag or holdall generally contained: a button brass (to keep metal polish from staining the uniform), a razor, a toothbrush, a shaving brush, spare leather boot laces, and a knife, fork and spoon. A tin of tooth powder is also displayed on the left in this cover image. Tooth powder was not standard issue in WWI and would have been an optional luxury item for the troops.

Rachel Bairsto, Head of Museum Services at the British Dental Association (BDA), provides some historical background on the manufacture of toothbrushes in the early twentieth century:

The manufacture of toothbrushes was very labour intensive with over 50 processes involved. Thigh and buttock bones from oxen were usually used for the handles and brush backs. They were boiled to remove the fat and grease and the ends were sawn off and sold to button makers. The pieces were subsequently passed to 'fashioners' who roughly shaped them with wooden carpenters' planes. The brushes came with a variety of head sizes and handle ends.

Other workers drilled the holes to take the tufts of hair. This was done by hand with a small bow-drill or by a foot operated drill. The backs were then 'graved' with thin channels which connected the holes to accommodate the wires that held the tufts in place.

Next the brushes were tumbled in large revolving drums to give them a smooth surface and polished by hand. They were then bleached – originally in strong sunlight and later by soaking in hydrogen peroxide. Finally the 'knots', as each bunch of hair were called, were drawn into the holes by the wires in the back of the brush. Traditionally horse or pigs' hair was used. This work was often sent out to women to complete at home. The bristles were then trimmed with a pair of shears and the graves filled with a resinous wax or later a cement.

Solid dentifrice was introduced to the British market in 1906. It consisted of a block of compressed toothpowder in an aluminium tin. It became a firm favourite and an integral accompaniment to the toothbrush.

Records suggest that some soldiers' toothbrushes were used to clean boots, rather than brush teeth. However, those soldiers who returned from the war introduced the toothbrush to the family home, sparking an increased demand for toothbrushes. A good bone and bristle brush could be purchased for 1 shilling (5p).