The First Canadian Toothbrushes The first commercial toothbrushes made in Canada were produced by Challies, a Montreal-based company that began manufacturing them around 1917. Before that, Canadians relied on imports, usually brushes from Japan, Britain or the United States, or made do without. Some of the Challies toothbrushes in the collection were made not for household use, but for professional settings. With stiff bristles and plain wooden handles, they were intended for dentists to use in-office for cleaning patients’ teeth. They stand in contrast to the smaller, consumer-oriented brushes marketed to families a few years later. Education and the Future Today, the Crawford Dental Collection supports more than exhibitions. It provides subject matter for educational programming for schools and universities, offers material for researchers and provides stories for the museum’s social media and blog platforms. Images and information about all the artifacts in the museum’s catalogue, including the Crawford Dental Collection, is available online at: mhc.andornot.net A new exhibition at the museum, Tooth Be Told: The Quest for Oral Health Throughout History, opened in July 2025. “For many years we had a dentures exhibit, which was interesting,” McGowan says. “But Challies made the first toothbrush in Canada in 1917. The company was owned by the Dominion Toilet Brush Co., which was subsequently bought by Beavers Dental, Morrisburg, Ontario, in 1940. the Crawford Dental Collection covers an incredible breadth of dental history. I really wanted to create a dental exhibit that showed more of the multitude of artifacts that we hold.” McGowan served as curator for the new exhibit and much of the practical design and mounting was handled by collections manager Kathy Karkut. Historian Dr. Catherine Carstairs, anesthesiologist Dr. Mike Wong and dentist Dr. Lynn Tomkins offered their expertise to ensure historical accuracy. The project was made possible by a donation from Linda Teteruck, a CDA staff member for 50 years who retired in 2025, and close friend of Ralph and Olga. The museum will be celebrating Tooth Be Told during its upcoming supporter event and will be issuing invitations to local dental experts. For McGowan, the future of the collection is as vital as its past. “We’re never going to stop talking about the Crawford Dental Collection,” she says. “It’s an incredible resource, and it will always have a role in how we understand and share the story of dentistry in Canada.” Hear more from Rowena McGowan on the Crawford Dental Collection on CDA Oasis at: bit.ly/4aoEFux 26 | 2026 | Issue 1 Issues and People
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