How toothbrushes are made

A modern toothbrush handle is shot out of a mold in seconds, then tufts of nylon are stapled into it.

stations: 7
things upstream: 56
raw sources: 14
steps from the ground: 9

The short version

A toothbrush handle is molded from plastic pellets that are melted and injected into a steel mold. Separate machine stations then punch tiny holes, press in tufts of nylon filament held by a thin metal staple, trim the bristles to a pattern, round their tips and package the brush.

Melt plastic pellets

Pellets of polypropylene are heated in a screw barrel until they turn into a thick melt. Color pigment is blended in at this stage.

Goes in
Polypropylene Pigment
Inject the handle

The melt is forced into a cooled steel mold shaped like the handle. A soft rubbery grip can be molded onto the handle in a second shot.

Goes in
Synthetic rubber
Spin the nylon

Molten nylon is pushed through tiny holes and stretched into long filaments. Stretching lines up the molecules, so the filament springs back when bent.

Goes in
Nylon
Cut the bristle tufts

The filaments are cut into short lengths and gathered into tufts. Each tuft is doubled over and held ready to be pushed into a hole.
Punch in the tufts

A machine drives each folded tuft into a hole with a tiny metal anchor that pins it in place. Dozens of tufts go in within seconds.

Goes in
Steel
Trim and round the tips

Blades shave the bristles to the chosen pattern, then tips are ground and polished so they do not scratch gums. Rounded ends are what dentists look for.
Pack the brushes

Each brush is sealed in a plastic blister or paper box and counted into shipping cartons.

Goes in
Cardboard

End of the lineToothbrush

Worth repeating

The first nylon-bristle toothbrush went on sale on February 24, 1938.
Brushes with horse or boar bristles were still imported to Britain from China until the middle of the 20th century.
The first electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, was invented in Switzerland in 1954.