Adult's toothbrush. Red handle with white nylon bristles, in clear glass case, labeled "Dr. West's 69¢, Stays anti-bacterial in use up to four months, Weco Prod Co, Patents Pend."

H. N. Wadsworth was the first American to patent a toothbrush of bone and animal bristle - in 1857 (US Patent No. 18,653). American Companies soon began to mass-produce toothbrushes after 1885. The biggest change was the introduction of nylon bristles in 1938 and their subsequent rapid and widespread acceptance, since they were more durable and more hygienic than animal bristles, which also tended to fall out easily. Dr. West's Miracle Toothbrush produced by the Weco Products Company introduced the new DuPont nylon fibers in 1938. Since then, modern toothbrush has consisted of a plastic handle and nylon bristles attached to the head of the brush. Brushing teeth was promoted in the army during World War II.

Weco Products introduced the Germ-Fighter toothbrush in 1957. An ad in Life Magazine (March 4, 1957) stated:

"Nobody ever made a toothbrush that stays so clean and safe as this new Dr. West's Germ-Fighter. Every bristle in the entire brushhead is treated by an anti-bacterial process. It destroys or inhibits germs that lodge on and hold on to it whether they are picked up by brushing or fall on to it while the brush hangs in the bathroom. And this germ fighting action is effective for up to four months in use."