Don't Forget Your Toothbrush! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chew sticks

Chew sticks have been found in an Egyptian tomb from 3000 BCE, and were also used in Mesopotamia in 3500 BCE. They are also mentioned in ancient Indian and Chinese texts, such as the Ayurvedas. They are still used in modern-day India and in Muslim regions, such as the Horn of Africa and the Sahel region, where they are called miswaks and made from twigs from the Salvadora persica tree, nicknamed the 'toothbrush tree'. One end of a twig is chewed until it becomes frayed, and the frayed end is then used to clean teeth, with the other end acting as a toothpick. They do not require toothpaste.

Salt can actually be used to clean teeth, as it balances out the acidic content of the mouth and has anti-bacterial properties. However, the main disadvantage of using salt as a toothpaste substitute is that it is abrasive and can damage your tooth enamel.

Answer: Israel

'Miv-reshet shinayim' is the Hebrew word for 'toothbrush'. In Italy, it's 'spazzolino' or 'spazzolino da denti'. In Russian, it's 'zubnaya shchetka', and in Japanese, it's 'haburashi'.

Other words for toothbrush include 'brosse à dents' (French), 'Zahnbürste' (German), 'brwsh danedd' (Welsh), 'cepillo de dientes' (Spanish), 'fogkefe' (Hungarian), 'chetka za zubi' (Bulgarian), and 'bàn chai dánh rang' (Vietnamese).

Answer: William Addis

Brushes with bristles have existed for centuries, with early examples being found in China; these brushes dated back to the Tang Dynasty and used hog bristles. However, the mass production of toothbrushes began after William Addis made his own toothbrush in prison in 1780 by drilling holes in a leftover bone, putting tufts of bristles in the holes and sticking them in with glue. Addis started Addis, a toothbrush manufacturing business, when he was released from prison, with pig bristles being used for the cheaper toothbrushes, and his son inherited the business following his death in 1808. Addis later changed its name to Wisdom Toothbrushes.

Hertford Museum has a collection of 5000 toothbrushes in its Addis Collection, as the Addis Factory employed many local people until it closed in 1996.

Answer: Canada

The toothbrush enthusiast in question is Kelly Hardy, from Mississauga in Ontario. Her collection contained 1618 different packaged toothbrushes. Hardy first started collecting toothbrushes at the age of 12, when a toothbrush with a built-in floss dispenser caught her eye. Since then, she's collected all sorts of toothbrushes, including tie-in toothbrushes for 'The Simpsons' and 'Star Wars'. For the official Guinness count, she had to lay out all her toothbrushes on tables in a gym! The previous record was 1320, owned by Grigori Fleicher, a Russian.

Answer: Maryly Snow

Maryly Snow might not be as famous as the other three options, but instead of polka dots, performance art or beds, she has toothbrushes. Her International Toothbrush Collection contains over 2500 toothbrushes. Although she started the collection for a joke, it eventually grew into a genuine art project and, in her words, 'took on a life of its own' when people sent her toothbrushes. She categorises the toothbrushes by target age, type (which ranges from 'advertising' and 'airline' to 'zig zag' and 'zoomorphic', or animal-shaped), bristle tuft patterns, bristle materials, handle materials, and packaging. She initially asked local artists to send her their toothbrushes, and would tag the toothbrushes with historical information. It was not advertised to the public until 2001.

In 2021, Snow announced that the Toothbrush Collection was closed and asked people to stop sending her toothbrushes.

Answer: Yes

Yes, you can buy toothbrushes AND toothpaste for cats and dogs, although trying to brush your pet's teeth isn't always easy (my late cat Dougie was a terrible wriggler!) Although you can use a human toothbrush to clean your dog or cat's teeth if it has soft bristles, you can also buy special animal toothbrushes that are either shaped like human toothbrushes, or like thimbles that fit on your finger (which is the type I have). Dogs and cats can't use human toothpaste as it can be toxic to them, and they can't spit it out like humans can, so they have special toothpaste, which has a meat flavour as opposed to mint.

Answer: Roots Manuva

Roots Manuva, real name Rodney Hylton Smith, is a rapper and producer from London who released his debut album 'Brand New Second Hand' in 1999. His breakthrough came with his second album in 2001, 'Run Come Save Me', which featured the 'Doctor Who' theme-inspired single 'Witness (1 Hope)'. 'Awfully Deep' was certified double silver in 2011 and spawned two singles, 'Colossal Insight' and 'Too Cold'.

Answer: Blue

Yes, blue is the colour of choice for toothbrushes, with red being the second most popular toothbrush colour. Why blue in particular? There could be many reasons for this. According to an article about the psychology of colour on the blog Curiosity Shots, blue is the world's most popular colour and is associated with sterility, serenity, calm and responsibility (and, on the downside, depression). Blue is a cold colour associated with water, and is also considered to be a calming colour, hence why it's often used in hospital decor and medical staff uniforms.

Answer: You're a Pink Toothbrush

Max Bygraves, born Walter Bygraves, was a TV presenter, comedian and singer who performed on the 'Royal Variety Performance' multiple times and presented 'Family Fortunes'. He released several novelty and children's songs, including 'Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen By the Sea, 'Tulips from Amsterdam' and 'Ballad of Davy Crockett'. Players of a certain age may remember the BBC show 'Children's Choice', later 'Junior Choice'; presented by Derek 'Uncle Mac' McCulloch; one Bygraves song that featured on the show was 'You're a Pink Toothbrush', about a pair of toothbrushes who fall in love after meeting by the bathroom door and bond over using the same toothpaste.

Bygraves was a fan of the song and wrote in his autobiography, "Sometimes in my stage act I'll announce a request for this song. If I hear a ripple go through the audience I'll add, 'Don't knock it, folks. That song has sold over three million. Not records - toothbrushes."

Answer: Chris Evans

British players who grew up in the '90s, like me, will remember Chris Evans for his stints presenting 'The Big Breakfast' and 'TFI Friday' on Channel 4, the latter being a music and chat show that featured live performances from various bands. Evans also presented 'Don't Forget Your Toothbrush' after leaving 'The Big Breakfast' in 1994 and forming Ginger Productions. Although the pilots of 'Don't Forget Your Toothbrush' failed, the show took off when Evans teamed up with game show producer William G. Stewart.

The name of the show came from the 'Light Your Lemon' quiz segment, where audience members had to bring passports and suitcases, and two audience members would be selected to form a team. If they got five answers right, the lemon on a giant cocktail glass would light up and they would go on holiday to an exotic destination, but if a home viewer beat them, the team would go to a less exotic destination with a similar-sounding name. On the penultimate episode of the first series, Evans surprised the entire audience by awarding them a week's holiday at Disneyland Paris.

Various international versions included Australian and American versions, Denmark's 'Husk Lige Tandbørsten', the Netherlands' 'Uhhh...Vergeet Je Tandenborstel Niet!' and Germany's 'Pack die Zahnbürste Ein'.